Color Me Green
by Predec2
Summary: Sequel to "It's Only Polite to Share."  It's Justin's turn to be jealous when Brian hires a replacement for him at Kinnetik.
1. Just Which Car Is Brian Riding In?

Justin smiled as he pulled the Jeep up to the back of Brian's building and noticed his partner's newest toy parked in its assigned spot again; that meant his partner was home ahead of him for a change. This morning when Brian had left earlier than normal to meet with a client for some brainstorming session over breakfast, he hadn't had a chance to talk to him before he left; he remembered snuggling back into their warm bed to steal just a little more sleep as his partner had brushed his lips softly against his cheek and whispered "later" in his ear just before he replaced the duvet back over his body that he had kicked aside in his sleep once again.

Later, when he went out to get in the jeep for his drive to PIFA, he realized Brian's new car was gone. He hadn't been too surprised, though; the weatherman had forecast an unusually spring day today with highs in the 80s and he figured Brian would want to take advantage of it to take his new convertible to work.

He gazed over at the sleek, black Porsche Carrera S and shook his head in amusement; no one would certainly accuse Brian of buying anything understated. As usual, he noticed the sleek, top-of-the-line sports car with the charcoal-gray leather seats was buffed to perfection. Brian never took the car out unless there wasn't any chance of rain, and he was actually paying some guy with a mobile car washing service to come to the garage periodically just to wash and wax the thing. But Justin really couldn't blame him for the indulgence – Brian worked hard to be as successful as he was and he deserved some of the finer things in life as a result.

As far as he was concerned, though, he was more than content with Brian's old jeep. Even with some of the scratches, dents, and scrapes it had incurred over the years, the boxy vehicle still evoked fond memories of him and Brian in it and that was worth more to him than any outrageously-expensive sports car would ever be. Pleased that he would have more time to spend with his _own_ 'favorite toy,' Justin opened the jeep's door to get out and hurry inside.

* * *

Five minutes later, Justin swung the heavy metal door to the loft open, spying Brian sitting on the leather sofa, his long, lean legs propped up on the glass coffee table as he studied something on his laptop while he steadied it somewhat precariously on his thighs. He noticed Brian was wearing his typical outfit: a pair of slightly washed-out blue jeans and nothing else. It was his favorite type of outfit on Brian, at least his second-favorite, anyway, after his _birthday suit_, he thought with a grin. The brunet looked up briefly to acknowledge his partner's entrance with an almost imperceptible twist of one side of his mouth. "Hey," he said softly before he turned back to the computer screen.

"Hey yourself," Justin responded, dropping his portfolio down by the door. You're home early." He walked up to the couch to stand behind his partner and lean down to slide his hands around Brian's neck.

"Still putting those high SAT scores to good use, I see," Brian deadpanned as Justin smiled against his neck. He nuzzled the taut, bronze skin there briefly with his lips while Brian continued to study the screen in front of him.

"That's pretty cool," Justin commented as he noticed what Brian was looking at. "Is that for one of your clients?" The artist in him couldn't help eyeing the vibrant graphics on the screen that immediately made you focus on the product's slogan at the bottom of the page, which was for a well-known sports equipment company. It was an image of a tennis ball and a racquet in the middle with a streaked mirror image on both sides of the center photo, making it appear as if it were still in motion, and underneath were the words, _Bounce Back From Your Competition_. The total effect was both dramatic and effective.

Brian nodded as Justin placed his hands on Brian's shoulders and began to idly massage them, trying to work the tense muscles so they were not as tight. "Yeah, a new art employee came up with it. Hot, isn't it?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah," he had to admit. "It's very eye-catching. You said a new art employee did it?"

"Yeah," Brian replied as he groaned appreciatively over Justin's talented ministrations. "Fuck, that feels so good, Justin," he murmured with a sigh.

Justin frowned. "I didn't know you hired a new employee."

"Yeah," Brian whispered as Justin continued to knead the tight muscles. "Are you ready for this? Name's Andrea Ferrari." He laughed as Justin snorted in disbelief. "No, I kid you not, Sunshine. That's the name. Kind of funny, isn't it? Now I've got both a Porsche _and_ a Ferrari at my disposal."

Justin chuckled in amazement at the odd coincidence. "Why am I not surprised somehow? I didn't know you were even looking for a new art employee. After all, you said I was irreplaceable." He remembered a few months ago when he had needed to leave Kinnetik to go back to school and Brian had commented that he would really have to 'ride his employees' asses hard' to get the same amount of work out of them. It seems the taskmaster must have bowed to some grumbling among his staff over being overworked just a tad and added an additional employee to help with the graphics and storyboards anyway, despite what he had said.

Brian grinned as he turned his head to bestow a kiss on his partner's waiting lips before replying, "You are – in more ways than one." He turned back to study the screen in front of him as Justin resumed his ministrations. "But this one just kind of fell into my lap. You know how Branson-Keller is always trying to compete against me for the same clients – unsuccessfully, of course? Well, this particular Ferrari was getting tired of coming out behind in all the races and sought me out the last time they came in second place once again. Seems my new employee wanted to be on a winning team for a change. I checked out some work samples and a few days later, I called and made an offer. Now the Ferrari's working for the _winning team_," he quipped with a chuckle. "Just a kid, but I think there's a lot of potential there."

Justin gave his partner's shoulders one last squeeze before he turned and walked around the couch to stand in front of him. "Well, of course," Justin said with a smile. "Who _wouldn't_ want to work for the best ad agency in Pittsburgh? And I know how much you like _kids_….." Brian chuckled softly at that statement. "Now if you'll put down that laptop for a while, _Mr. Kinney_, you can work on massaging some of MY tight muscles."

Brian's mouth broke out into a wide smile. "Now that's one offer from my former employee that I can't refuse," he said huskily as he flipped his laptop shut, swung his feet onto the floor and placed his computer down on the coffee table in response.

Justin smiled as he sat down to straddle Brian on the couch. "I always knew you were a smart man," he replied as the couple instinctively met halfway for the first of several tongue-dueling kisses and their hands began to roam in a familiar, sensual dance of pleasure. An hour would pass on the couch before the dinner that Brian had brought home from the nearby Thai restaurant would have to be warmed up again, but neither one cared at the moment.

* * *

_Next Day – Early Afternoon – Kinnetik_

"Hi, Justin!" Cynthia greeted the blond from her desk with a smile as he walked in. "How have you been?"

Justin returned her smile. "Great. You?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "But I kind of wish you were still here. Someone was always in a really good mood when you were working here," she stated with a wink.

Justin blushed slightly. "Well, maybe next summer I can come back. At least he has a new plaything now – the new car, I mean," he hastened to add as the assistant's eyebrows rose in question.

She smiled. "Yeah…I was shocked when he offered to take me out for lunch yesterday. But then I realized it was just so he could show it off." She sighed. "It sure is one sweet ride, though; it's a beautiful car." She grinned. "Unless I got a major raise, though, I think I'll just have to stick to my four-year-old Camry."

Justin chuckled. "Don't feel bad, Cynthia. I have Brian's old jeep. But it's more than enough for what I need." He glanced around the office, noticing it was still quite busy even though some of the employees should have been out for the lunch late shift. He wasn't too surprised, though; Brian run such a tight ship at times when an important client's account needed to be worked on that his employees frequently wound up working through their lunch hours and eating at their desks instead.

"Speaking of lunch, is Brian around? I got off early today from class and I was hoping I could talk him into going over to Nick's with me." The Italian restaurant situated just down the street from Kinnetik had recently opened and had quickly become a favorite of both men.

"Yes, he's here," she told him. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you just went on in. He doesn't have any clients scheduled for a couple of hours, so this would probably be a good time to steal him away for a while. It never hurts the rest of us, either, when he comes back in a good mood." She smiled at him meaningfully, knowing full well that whenever Brian and Justin went out for lunch together at Nick's or anywhere else for that matter, food wasn't the only thing on the menu.

Justin blushed again slightly. "Thanks, I think I will. I'll talk to you later." He nodded at her as he walked past her desk and down the fairly short hallway toward Brian's office.

He could hear voices speaking quietly as they filtered out through the open doorway, recognizing his partner's velvety baritone voice as he chuckled at something the other person was saying. He hesitated, not sure if he should interrupt, but he remembered Cynthia advising him that Brian didn't have any clients scheduled. He decided to just knock before he entered, figuring it was one of Brian's employees he was conferring with. Everyone knew by now that he and Brian were personally involved, especially after their demonstrable verification of that after the Chamberlain fiasco, and he had been back occasionally since then, so it wasn't as if anyone would be surprised by one more unannounced visit.

He knocked a couple of times on the door trim before sticking his head inside the doorway. He could tell there was someone sitting with their back to him in one of Brian's visitor chairs that faced his desk as his partner looked up at him in acknowledgment. Brian was sitting perched on a corner of his desk, his long legs swinging freely under him, his body angled toward the occupied leather, high-backed chair.

Justin's heart did a slight flip flop just like it always did when his handsome partner noticed who his visitor was and flashed a warm smile at him. "Justin! Come on in – you can meet the new employee I was telling you about."

Reassured that he wasn't intruding now, Justin smiled back at him as he entered the room and prepared to meet the employee that Brian had been raving about last night. His smile quickly faded, however, as a tall man with perfect olive skin, vivid green eyes and thick, wavy-black hair stood up to face him with a polite smile and extended his hand.

"Justin, I'd like you to meet my newest art employee, Andrea Ferrari. Andrea, this is my partner, Justin Taylor."


	2. A Ferrari and RentAWreck Don't Mix

Feeling decidedly like a car from _Rent-A-Wreck _next to the 'Ferrari,' Justin struggled to close his gaping mouth as he stared at Brian's newest addition to the art department, every lean-muscled, chiseled 6'2" of him.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Justin," the attractive man poured on the charm as he replied with just the hint of an Italian accent; he smiled back at the blond with teeth so straight and white they could have lit up downtown Pittsburgh. "You don't mind if I call you that, do you?" Justin shrugged noncommittally as the man advised him, "Brian has told me a lot about you. He said I had some big shoes to fill."

His handshake was warm and firm as he clasped Justin's hand; in fact, his grip was so tight that Justin thought he was close to cutting off his circulation before he managed to pull his hand free of the man's grasp. He rubbed it briefly before dropping it to his side to scrutinize the man more closely.

"Really?" Justin said somewhat coolly as he glanced over at Brian, who merely smiled back at him enigmatically. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage, then, _Andrea_, because you're nothing like I pictured YOU." He turned to stare pointedly at Brian, but the brunet seemed unaware of it as he turned to stare at his newest employee instead.

"I'm not?" the other man replied with a little laugh and a hint of surprise. "Oh, and it's pronounced On-DRE-a, not Andrea…..If it helps, just think of my fellow countryman…Andrea Bocelli."

"Yeah, Justin," Brian interjected helpfully. "Everyone knows an Italian man's name wouldn't be pronounced Andrea," he chided as Justin glared back at him and An-DRE-a smiled at his boss warmly.

"Yeah….everyone knows that…..how gauche of me," Justin said as he glared over at his partner. "Uh…..On-DRE-a, then," Justin said, succinctly pronouncing each syllable of the man's name, "would you mind excusing us for just a moment? I need to speak to Brian alone."

"Of course," Andrea replied, as he turned to go. "I'll just wait for you in the lobby," he advised Brian. "Nice meeting you, Justin," he added, giving the blond another blinding smile before walking over toward the door to leave.

"Lobby?" Justin asked the other man before he could disappear, looking over at Brian questioningly as he did.

"Yes," Andrea replied with a slight smile toward his new boss. "Brian's taking me out to Nick's to celebrate his acquisition of the Lehr Sporting Goods account this morning."

Justin's eyes widened. "Lehr Sporting Goods?" he replied as he looked over at his partner. "You've been dying to grab that account away from Branson-Keller for years."

Brian smiled, nodding proudly like he was a new father. "Yeah….well thanks to Andrea's storyboard that I showed you yesterday, we just became their new advertising agency. I'm sure Andrea's old boss is going to be royally pissed, too – but that's too damn bad."

Justin looked a little envious at the other man's accomplishment, but quickly plastered a neutral expression on his face. "That's great, Brian," he said, smiling. "Congratulations." He stared into the animated expression in his partner's eyes as he admitted, "I got out of school early today, and I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to go there myself."

"Oh….," Andrea said smoothly from the doorway, interjecting. "Don't let me intrude, then….you two go right ahead, Brian. We can go some other time."

"Nonsense," Brian countered congenially – perhaps a little _too _congenially for Justin's sake. "You deserve it. We can all go together instead…right, Justin? You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Justin pursed his lips together and forced a smile to appear. "No, not at all…..please….I insist. I'm sure Brian is very _grateful," _he added, staring over intently at Ferrari. "Aren't you, Brian?"

"I sure am," Brian said from behind his desk with an almost saccharine tone of voice; he was secretly enjoying the green-eyed monster making an unscheduled guest appearance in his office. "You kicked ass this morning."

"Thanks, Brian," the dark-haired man said with a pleased smile. "That means a lot coming from you; I'm just glad I could contribute to the team."

Justin snorted softly; Brian bit his lip to hide the smile trying to appear there as he told Andrea, "We'll be right out."

Andrea nodded as he turned to leave. Before he could, however, Justin called out firmly, "Would you shut the door, please?" The other man hesitated briefly before Brian gave him a brief nod of agreement. "No problem." He smiled politely in return and softly closed the door behind him, leaving the two partners finally alone.

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise," Brian told his partner smoothly as he smiled at him and walked out from behind the desk with the intention of acknowledging the other man 'properly' with their typical mode of greeting - a probing, tongue-washed kiss. Justin, however, managed to evade his roaming lips by turning his head at the last minute, resulting in Brian brushing his cheek instead.

The brunet smirked as he pulled back to observe the perturbed look on his partner's face. "Is there a problem, Sunshine?" he asked innocently.

"Problem? Why should there be a problem, Brian?" the blond asked, his hands on his hips as he stared back into the amused greenish-gold eyes.

Brian leaned against the edge of his desk and crossed his hands over his chest. "Oh….I don't know. You seem a little…agitated," he observed, noticing Justin fidgeting as he grasped the back of the chair that his newest employee had just vacated. "Something bothering you?"

Justin knew the man was baiting him, but he couldn't help it anyway. "You deliberately didn't tell me that Andrea, uh, excuse me…..._On-DRE-a_ was a man, didn't you?"

Brian appeared to look shocked as he responded, "Of course Ididn't! I never said he was a she – OR a he."

Justin shook his head in exasperation, suddenly feeling like he was watching the movie _Victor, Victoria_. "Come on, Brian! Do you seriously expect me to believe you just forgot to mention the fact that your newest employee – which you pronounced as AN-dre-a, by the way, NOT On-DRE-a – was a man instead of a woman?"

Brian laughed softly at his partner's look of skepticism. "Why would it matter?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in question.

Justin sputtered, a little flustered by Brian's query. "Well…..you know."

Brian smiled, his eyes twinkling; he knew _exactly _why and he was thoroughly enjoying himself. "No, I don't know," he said evenly. "If Andrea is the most suitable and skilled person for the job, and comes with excellent qualifications from the second-best ad agency in town, what difference does it make if he's a man or a woman?" He asked before he couldn't help grinning in triumph and fake epiphany. "Why, Sunshine, I'm surprised at you! That sounds so chauvinistic! Or could it just be….. plain _jealousy_?" he asked, curling his lips under curiously.

Justin's eyes flashed as he stared over at the brunet. "Don't flatter yourself!" he growled. "I couldn't care less whether _Andy's_ a boy or a girl! In fact, are you sure his name isn't really short for Androgynous?" He laughed softly at his joke, suddenly amused by his own question. For some reason, it made him feel innately happier, too…that is, until Brian's next comment followed.

"Oh, trust me, there's nothing _androgynous_ about him," the brunet commented enthusiastically, enormously pleased that Justin appeared highly annoyed by his statement.

"Really? And just how would you know that, _Mr. Kinney_? Up front and close, personal observation?"

Brian smiled. Whenever Justin called him that, he was either trying to make him horny as hell or he was upset; at the moment, there was no question it was the latter and he knew the reason why. "Don't need to," Brian told him. "Even though we HAVE had to work very closely on several projects lately. All you have to do is look at the guy, though. He's tall and, let's say, _perfectly proportioned_….need I say more?"

Justin harrumphed. "I didn't know we were talking about frozen chicken," he retorted.

Brian sighed. Justin could be so damn insecure at times, even now, and he knew it was dangerous to toy with his emotions during these sorts of times. But didn't he trust him by now? After all, he had had to endure that asshole Chamberlain practically drooling over his partner's sketchpad that one day, and the man trying to paw him to death in the Expo's bathroom. It was only fair, then, that he return the favor….

Brian chuckled softly. "Sunshine, I'd love to debate semantics with you all afternoon, but I can't."

Justin huffed. "Oh, that's right; you've got your _hands full…_."

Brian smiled. "No, I don't…Not at the moment, anyway," he told the blond before his smile faded somewhat into more of an apologetic expression. "I did promise Andrea I'd take him down to Nick's to check out the cuisine there. You know, if not for his innovative use of form and texture in the storyboard for Lehr Electronics, I'm sure we would have never won the client over. The least I owe him is a free lunch."

"Well, bully for o_n-Dre-a_," Justin growled softly under his breath. He dropped his hold on the back of the chair and sighed. "Well, maybe I shouldn't interrupt the next meeting of the Queers' Mutual Admiration Society, then," he said stiffly. "I'll just go down to the corner street vendor and grab a hot dog."

Brian laughed, which made Justin even more agitated. "How do you know he's queer, Justin?"

"Oh, _puh-leeze_," he intoned. "Italian suit, manicured nails, perfectly waxed eyebrows? He's gay, all right – as if you didn't already know. Give me a break, Brian," he huffed as he crossed his arms in front of him.

Brian smiled as his tongue came out playfully to lick his lips to moisten them. "Well, I wasn't aware there was an official dress code for determining who's a homo and who isn't, but in this case, you happen to be correct." Justin stared at him smugly with a sort of _I told you so_ look in response.

Brian sighed; he wanted to chuckle at the look on his partner's face, but somehow he had a feeling that wasn't such a good idea at the moment. "Oh, quit being such a jealous drama queen," Brian chided him as he walked over to place his hands on Justin's shoulders. "It's just lunch, Justin. And I'm inviting you to come with us. If I was trying to fuck the guy under the table, would I do that?"

He snorted. "How do I know you haven't already taken him for a little test drive already?" he argued. He knew he was sounding childish, but the sleek-looking Ferrari sitting out in the lobby sure looked like he was dying to take Brian on a thrill ride to _him_, and he didn't like it one bit.

The brunet laughed softly, delighted that his partner was feeling so 'threatened.' It never hurt to know he could still engender that emotion in him. He leaned down to nudge Justin's nose briefly with his and stare into the icy pools of blue. "Don't worry, Sunshine….I'm still under lifetime warranty to you. All I did was check under the hood – no test drive."

Justin grudgingly smiled at that comment, his heart skipping a beat. "Well, just see that you don't," he gently chided the other man. Brian grinned back at him tenderly before the two met for a kiss, this time on the lips.

"I wasn't planning on sharing my 'lunch' with someone else today, you know," the blond whispered breathlessly to Brian as they finally broke apart.

"Well, I had no idea your hot little ass was going to be popping in today," Brian replied huskily as his hands sneaked around to the small of Justin's back and lightly caressed it. "Or I would have ordered in instead." He leaned down to nuzzle the side of Justin's neck as he heard a typical sigh of appreciation in response. "It's just one lunch."

Justin closed his eyes and let out a soft moan of pleasure as Brian's lips continued to do their magic on his flesh. "I know," he struggled to breath out. "But just …just take the Porsche the next time for lunch, okay? No…..no Ferrari."

Brian laughed against his skin, causing Justin to shiver as his warm breath washed over him. "Duly noted, Sunshine," Brian murmured as he nipped at Justin's lower earlobe playfully. He loosened his hold on the slender body to lean back and peer down into the mesmerizing eyes of blue. "We'd better get going – I'm meeting with a client in about 90 minutes."

Justin nodded. "Okay," he said as Brian reached over to grab his suit jacket. "But I'm not sitting in the back seat of your car, and I think _Andy_'s not going to be too comfortable in the back."

Brian snorted. "We can walk, Princess; it's just a block away. And don't let him hear you call him _Andy_ – he hates that name, by the way."

Justin smirked. Good; he'd have to make a point of using it more often, then….

* * *

_Fifteen Minutes – Nick's Restaurant_

Brian's new employee gazed over the rim of his wine glass at the man he had replaced – at work, anyway. "So, Justin…..You worked for Brian this summer as his intern."

"_An_ intern, yes," Justin said a little defensively. The way Ferrari had phrased the question, it made him sound more like Brian's _slave_ rather than his employee, although he knew he was much more than that to Brian. He had never wanted to cash in on that fact, though; he had preferred to be treated just like any other employee, and he was….that is, until Chamberlain had shown up and he and Brian had given all the other employees a clear indication that they were just a tad bit more than just employer and employee…..

Andrea nodded. "I'm sure you must have found your experience quite _valuable_," the man said rather obtusely.

Justin frowned. What exactly did_ that _mean? Was he trying to insinuate that he couldn't have gotten the job without Brian's influence? If this man really knew Brian well at all, he would realize that despite their being lovers, Brian would have never agreed to let Justin work there if he didn't think he was qualified. If anything, his partner would be brutally honest, and if he had thought Justin wasn't capable of doing the work, he would have damned well told him so. "Yes, it was," he finally replied. "It allowed me to _showcase my talents_." He turned to stare over at Brian, who curled his lips under in amusement at the double meaning.

"What a shame that you couldn't stay there permanently, then," Andrea responded politely. "But I would say your loss is definitely my gain, though," he added, smiling over at Brian as Justin glared at him.

Brian cleared his throat as he pulled at the collar of his shirt, which was feeling tighter by the second. He was suddenly beginning to feel like the shuttlecock in a badminton game. "Uh….yeah," he replied. "Well….your input and background information on the client was certainly invaluable to us in winning the account," Brian told him. He reached to raise his wine glass and held it out briefly to the other man. "That was a hell of a storyboard you created," he admitted with respect. "You knew just what sort of graphics to produce to get the CEO to jump ship, and you did it. Here's to you," he saluted him, before he took a sip and placed it down next to his plate of chicken parmesan. "You got balls, Ferrari; I _like_ employees with spunk," he added, looking over at Justin with a smirk as he winked at him.

Justin rolled his eyes, refusing to rise to the bait. "Yeah…..I saw the storyboard last night. That was pretty impressive work," he admitted. Before the other surprised man could respond with a standard word of thanks, though, Justin added, "But let's see if you can consistently _keep it up_ like I can."

Ferrari smiled confidently, his white teeth threatening to blind the rest of the patrons in the restaurant. "Oh, don't worry…..I'm sure I can _keep it up_ just fine."

"Any more wine?" Brian suddenly asked, holding the bottle of burgundy up from the table. _Or should I say WHINE, _came unbidden to his mind as he gazed at the men engaging in a battle of wits on either side of him. He wondered all of a sudden just why he had thought it a good idea to take Justin and his newest employee to lunch together. Oh, yeah….he assumed he was going to be in the company of _adults_….

The two men, however, both shook their heads almost of one accord as Justin responded, "Well, I don't know about the _other_ agency you worked for, _Andy_, but at Kinnetik you're playing with the big boys. Sure you can handle it?"

The dark-haired man bristled at the use of the cutesy nickname. "The name's _Andrea_, Justin_, _if you don't mind," he said coolly. Justin shrugged his shoulders in a '_whatever'_ type of response as the other man added, "And I am more than accustomed to _playing with the big boys_, as you so eloquently put it. While I was at Branson-Keller, I was responsible for providing the storyboard graphics for several big-name accounts."

"You mean like Zip's Car Wash and the Paper Lantern?" Justin asked, referring to a couple of mom-and-pop outfits that had been around since the dark ages and, while managing to keep afloat, had never lit the world on fire, or become particularly lucrative.

Ferrari huffed. "Not quite. I drew up the art work, for instance, for both Eye Kingdom Optics and White Hat Haberdashery, to name a couple."

Justin's eyes widened slightly at the sound of those two companies; both were very well-known in their respective industries and quite profitable as well. He had seen the latest ads for both companies in a couple of design magazines he subscribed to and had been amazed at the creative imagery they had invoked. If Ferrari had produced these, he definitely _could_ play in the big leagues.

"I might have heard of them before," Justin grudgingly admitted. "Anyone can get lucky."

"Gentlemen," Brian interjected, deciding he was growing weary of playing referee. "Our food's getting cold and we only have thirty minutes left. Can we shelve the shop talk for later? I have to be back at the office soon."

"Of course, Brian," Ferrari responded smoothly. "I agree completely." He stared over at Justin's steely-blue eyes and smiled. "I'm sure your partner understands, too."

Justin narrowed his eyes. "Completely… _Andy_," he responded softly with a smile.

Brian sighed as he took a stab of his food, silently hoping that the rest of their meal would conclude without him contracting heartburn as a result; heartburn of a most serious and decidedly _non-physical_ nature.

* * *

_Late Afternoon – Same Day _

"I'm very impressed, Brian," Kern Madsen stated, as he rose to shake both Brian's and Andrea's hands at the conclusion of their conference meeting. He peered over at the four storyboards displayed nearby on easels and shook his head. "Never in my life have I seen the type of color combinations like the ones you've come up with to sell my musical instruments," he admitted with amazement. The balding, salt-and-pepper-haired man stared at the combination of font styles, color, and graphics a few seconds longer before turning to Brian and smiling. "But I guess it's time I come out of the Dark Ages. At least that's what my nephews keep telling me. And I think this campaign just might do the trick."

Andrea stole a glance over at Brian, who had a pleased smile on his face. His new boss had confided to him earlier that he had been trying to rope in the man's chain of musical instrument franchises now for at least the past five years, even before he had his own business. Brian had told him he was going to give it one more try, but if he was unsuccessful, he was finally going to concede that it just wasn't meant to happen. Now, though, it appeared he had finally succeeded. And that could only mean one thing for _him _ - even greater hold over this sexy, powerful man.

"I'm pleased you like the new campaign," Brian was telling Madsen with a warm smile. "I can arrange to have the paperwork drawn up by the end of the week."

Madsen held up his hands and laughed softly. "Hold on just a minute, Kinney. I like what you've come up, but before I give a campaign this expensive the go-ahead, I'd like you to present it to the entire Board of Directors, including my nephews."

Brian stifled the pang of disappointment he felt inside; he had been hoping to get everything squared away today. He pasted a smile on his face, instead, and replied, "Of course. Just give me a good time and I'll have my assistant, Cynthia, make all the arrangements. I can arrange for tickets to any current sporting event while your people are here, too, if you like; just tell me what you're interested in."

Madsen shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, Brian, but this is our busy time with school just starting up; this time of year is when we make most of our money by leasing out instruments. But if you can come to Philadelphia to my corporate headquarters instead, you can present it there."

Brian would have preferred to get it handled right away, but he really wanted this man's account; he would do what it took, then, to follow it through to its hopefully successful end. He nodded. "Just tell me a good day to come and I'll be there."

"Good!" Madsen roared in approval, slapping Brian lightly on the back. "I like your attitude. How about this Friday? That's normally our slow day of the week. It would have to be early, though; I have a fishing trip scheduled for later that day."

_Yeah…so do I_, Brian thought. "Just give me a time and I'll be there."

"Eight o'clock?"

Brian nodded. "I'll be looking forward to it. I'll have my assistant arrange for me to fly in Thursday evening, then. And I'll bring all the materials with me."

"Great!" Madsen replied, taking one more look over at the vividly-drawn storyboards. He turned to stare at Ferrari. "Very imaginative, my boy!" he raved to Andrea, who smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you, Mr. Madsen," he said smoothly, smiling back with his almost-too-perfect teeth. "I'm very flattered."

The CEO nodded. "Make sure you bring him with you, Kinney, in case the Board decides to make any tweaks to the artwork, okay?"

Brian hesitated for just a second, but he knew good business sense dictated that you never disagreed with a potential, lucrative client; he normally preferred to pitch the potentially more-profitable campaigns himself. "Of course….we'll both be there, then." He held his hand out toward the door as one of the men from his sales department appeared. "One of my employees will drive you to the airport, sir. I'll see you Friday at 8:00. Thank you for this opportunity – you won't be disappointed."

He and Madsen shook hands before he disappeared down the hall, leaving the two men alone; Brian sat down on the edge of the conference room table and turned to his newest employee. "This is fucking _fantastic_!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I've been trying to nail that account for over _five years!"_ He smiled broadly. "I think I owe you a nice, fat, juicy steak now, Ferrari."

Andrea laughed. "A nice fat bonus will do just fine, Brian," he quipped.

Brian curled his lips under. "I'll see what I can do." He turned to pick up the conference room's phone as Ferrari listened in quietly. "Cynthia….I need you to make some reservations for me and Ferrari. Two rooms at the Radisson in Philly and a late afternoon flight for this Thursday. Thanks."

"Ready to sell our idea to the rest of the Board?" Brian asked his newest employee as he hung up the phone.

"You bet," Andre replied with a firm nod. "It's a done deal in my opinion," he added assertively.

"Your confidence befits your name, Ferrari," Brian told the other man with a grin. He glanced up at the clock overhead the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to head out a little early today." Something told Brian he might need to do some major sucking up to a certain blond waiting for him – consisting of some gourmet chocolates from Justin's favorite candy store down the street, as well as some _other_ form of 'sucking' later on…..

"Have a good evening, then," Andrea told his boss as Brian nodded and walked out of the room.

* * *

_Thirty Minutes Later _

Cynthia smiled at Kinnetik's newest employee as she walked into the Art Department. Even though word had gotten around the office quickly that Andrea was unfortunately gay, that still didn't prevent most of the female employees from practically swooning at the charming man's feet whenever they were in contact with him.

"Ah, Cynthia," Andrea greeted the statuesque blond with an award-winning smile. "Are we all set? Me and Brian, I mean," he said with a wink. "Ah…..if it could only be you and me instead," he purred facetiously.

Cynthia laughed as she walked up to him with a piece of paper listing his and Brian's itinerary information. "Charmer," she muttered. "Unless you're planning on being converted, I'm not biting….although, it _would_ be tempting," she said, smiling. "You two were lucky – the front desk at the Radisson said there's some big convention coming to town this weekend and they're expecting the hotel to sell out completely. I managed to snag two of the last rooms remaining. If Brian had waited one more day, I'm sure he would have been stuck at a flea bag motel instead. No, on second thought – forget that; Brian doesn't _do _flea bag motels. Maybe a top-of-the-line Winnebago. You, fortunately though, won't have to worry about that," she said, "thanks to a top-notch executive assistant."

Andrea smiled up at her as she gave him the paper. "I'll remember that come time for employee evaluations," he told her as she smiled and turned to leave.

Peering down at the reservation confirmation number for the hotel listed on the printout, Andrea waited until Cynthia had left before he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Radisson Hotel Philadelphia, Rhonda speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hello, Rhonda," Andrea replied, his voice as mellow as a good Chardonnay. "I work for a business by the name of Kinnetik. I believe my associate just made a call to reserve a couple of rooms at your hotel, and I think there may have been a mistake. Could you help me, please? I would be most grateful for your assistance."

The young woman on the other end of the phone was captivated by the man's sexy, Italian accent. "I'd be happy to, Mr…..?

"Ferrari….Andrea Ferrari. Just like the luxury car," he whispered intimately as he heard the woman giggle. "May I give you the confirmation number now, Rhonda?"

"Please."

"It's 37X247182."

"Yes, I have it right here," she replied after a few seconds as she scanned her computer screen. "Two deluxe rooms each with a king-sized bed for this Thursday, correct?"

"Oh," Ferrari replied regretfully. "That is what I feared. I am so sorry, _Tesorina_. She misunderstood our requirement. We will only be needing _one_ room for that evening, not two."

"Oh….just the one room?"

"Yes, my dear, that is correct. I am so sorry for the inconvenience."

"Oh, that's quite all right," she replied with a smile, utterly charmed now. "Actually, it won't be a problem renting it out….we're expecting a big crowd here this weekend so the rooms are really in demand," she assured him. "Will you still need a room with the king-sized bed, Mr. Ferrari? We have ones available with two doubles, also."

"Oh, no," Ferrari replied with a smile of his own. "One bed will do just fine."


	3. Preparing for the City of Brotherly Love

_Later That Evening (Wednesday) _

Brian pulled the door to his loft open and was relieved to hear his little housewife puttering around in the kitchen, banging a couple of pots around on the stove. While Justin had proven to be a talented chef as well as an artist, and had finally managed to be a little neater around their gourmet kitchen, he was still the noisiest cook he had ever encountered. Every stir of a pot, every lid covering a skillet, and every plate brought down from the overhead cupboards, caused him to wish he had a pair of noise-deafening headphones somewhere nearby whenever his partner was in the throes of his latest culinary endeavor.

Tonight, though, he was actually glad to hear the typical cooking sounds, because that probably meant his partner wasn't holding a grudge over what had happened earlier. Just for good measure, though, he was clutching a thin, rectangular, white paper bag containing a pound of assorted chocolates from Hennessey's, the small shop down the street that created outrageously-indulgent, handmade chocolates; the owner, originally from Switzerland, was a master creator of what Justin liked to call 'nirvana' from heaven, and he always went gaga over them. He smiled; whenever Justin ate one of them, he had the same look of ecstasy on his face as he did when they made love and he climaxed. Well, almost, anyway; good enough at least to hopefully get him out of the doghouse for not telling him about 'Andy.'

Brian knew he needed to work on making amends toward his partner over not being straightforward about Ferrari. He supposed he should have come clean initially when he mentioned his newest employee to Justin yesterday, but he _also_ knew how Justin could easily get jealous when he thought some other man was encroaching on his 'territory.' His partner may be compact and slender, but he could more than take care of himself, as well as handle anyone else who had the audacity to think Brian was available for a little 'employee fraternization.' But when Justin finds out he has to go out of town with the man, he didn't imagine that was going to go over too well with him. He sighed, preparing himself for what may be a long night – and not in a good way….

He slid the door back into place, laying the bag down on his desk before he walked around to the kitchen, spying Justin standing in front of the stove wearing nothing but a burgundy-colored apron with white trim and a sexy little smile on his face as he swayed slowly and softly sung along to a tune he was listening to on his iPod.

Brian grinned at the familiar sight; he had been surprised that Justin could actually sing decently. The first time he had caught him doing the same thing was several years ago, shortly after they had first met, and he had come home to find Justin dancing to some inane Moby song, gyrating back and forth as he sung passionately along – and not very well – with the music. Based on that observation, he would have never figured that the blond could actually carry a tune. But from time to time, he would come home again and find Justin doing precisely what he was doing right now, and he had observed that his partner actually had a smooth, rich singing voice, and it had intrigued him. Of course, he found anything about Justin intriguing, even now, and especially when he was wearing _that._

His eyes scanned appreciatively over his partner's choice of attire – or lack thereof – as he walked over to him; the deep red color of the fabric complimented Justin's pale skin perfectly. _Little fucker_, Brian thought as he felt the heat quickly rising in his body. _He knows exactly what he's doing…_

His gaze lingered over the slender form standing in front of him; he could feel his cock stirring in response, thinking that perhaps it might have to do with the fact that his partner's delicious ass was peeking out tantalizingly from the back of the apron as Justin stirred something _else _on the stove.

He crept up to the other man until he was right behind him and slid his hands around to wrap against Justin's chest; his cock was getting harder by the second as he felt the warmth of the younger man's ass pressed up against his pants and smelled a unique combination of scents that belonged only to his partner. He paused briefly to breathe in the captivating smell which always evoked a further need to touch him before he spoke again.

"That's a new look for you," he murmured huskily in Justin's ear, "At least while you're cooking." He heard a soft breath of happiness escape his lover's lips in response as he realized Justin hadn't even jumped when he had touched him; somehow his partner knew he had been there all along. He smiled over how well they knew each other by now, how their movements were almost instantly mapped out from the moment the other walked into the room, and how it made him feel inexplicably happy; unbidden, some stupid, old Kenny Rogers song about "_Something's burning – and I think it's love_" filtered through his mind until he firmly quashed it down, not willingly to allow such overly lesbian thoughts to enter his brain.

Justin smiled and his body relaxed against Brian's taller frame. This was one of his favorite times of the day, when his partner arrived home from work and made a beeline over to him for some kisses and caresses; it was the first thing Brian always did when he came home and it made him feel inordinately happy. "You're home early," he whispered as Brian nuzzled his neck and he sighed in contentment.

As he placed the large wooden spoon back into the pot he was stirring and turned around to greet his partner, Brian was able to study the words written on the bib of his apron and he laughed. There on the front, surrounded by a rectangular border of miniature tires, was the slogan, _**What's the use in getting it up if you don't have the right rubber? **_

"Where the fuck did you get that?" Brian asked, chuckling as he slid his arms around Justin's waist and gazing down into the mischievous, sparkling blue eyes. He could feel a slight tremble from the warm flesh beneath his hands and could feel his dress pants becoming impossibly tight and constrained in response; he was constantly amazed how Justin continued to make him react this way, even after all this time.

"It was for some tire company," Justin explained, licking his lips and grinning. "They were giving them away at the auto show and I thought I could make good use of it."

"You can…..only later," Brian said in that mesmerizing, velvety voice of his, his hands busily pulling on the drawstring keeping Justin's only piece of attire together to quickly divest him of it; who would have thought that a simple piece of kitchen apparel would make him so incredibly turned on? "Because _mine_ is definitely _up_ and I have all the 'right rubbers' we need."

He groaned in frustration as Justin smacked his hands away and laughed softly. "Our dinner's going to get cold, Brian," he whispered only half-convincingly; he was having a hard time concentrating at the moment with his partner's hands roaming all over his back and his ass. "And something tells me you're going to be _hot_ for some time to come. Let's eat first."

"That's what I had in mind," Brian pointed out as his hands continued to wander all over his backside. "_Eating_ your ass." He smacked a cheek and laughed as Justin yelped slightly in surprise.

Justin smiled. "Later," he reiterated as Brian twisted his mouth and pretended to pout like some little boy who was being deprived of his favorite toy. "I promise," he added with a grin. He shook his head in amusement before pulling Brian's head down with his hands and meeting their lips together for a kiss that proceeded to last for at least a couple of minutes. Only the bubbling of the pasta sauce behind him on the stove finally reminded him of their dinner and he reluctantly broke off their contact.

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll set the table?" he suggested.

"You look kind of _dirty_ too," Brian intimated huskily, his lips curling under hopefully; he had a feeling, though, that he was not going to be able to convince Justin of that. When it came to food, sex was normally a close first, but he knew that look; tonight, someone was going to make him to work for what he wanted as partial penance for what he had neglected to mention yesterday.

Justin rolled his eyes. "Nice try," he told his partner, putting his hands on Brian's chest and pushing him backward slightly to separate themselves a little further. "No ass eating until after we eat my pasta Alfredo." He smiled at the other man sympathetically. "Poor horny little baby," he cooed before he placed his hands on his partner's shoulders and leaned up on his tiptoes to bestow a briefer kiss. "I'll make it up to you later," he whispered, before he reached around and smacked _Brian_ on the ass this time. "Now go – dinner should be ready by the time you get out. And NO jacking off in there."

Brian sighed in mock disgust as he stared down into the amused blue eyes and huffing in resignation, he finally turned around and headed toward the bedroom, deciding he would hold off until after dinner to spring his gourmet chocolate surprise on his partner. He figured he might need all the leverage he could get, and besides, two could play this waiting game….couldn't they? As he took one more lingering, admiring glance over at Justin's ass perkily peering out from his apron, though, he wondered if that was true or not.

* * *

_One Hour Later _

Well, Brian decided, at least he was making headway. He had suffered through the interminable wait of having to eat Justin's meal – not that it was bad, mind you, it was just not what he had wanted the most at the time – and they were now reclining together lengthwise on the couch, Justin's smaller frame cradled between his own body and Justin's hands lying on top of his on the blond's stomach. He had hoped to rip that fucking, teasing apron off Justin's body before they had sat down, but Justin had somehow managed to keep it on, obviously in a move to frustrate the shit out of him. It was working, too; while he was actually enjoying having Justin nestled in between his legs, just feeling that bare ass against his thighs was making his body tingle all over and left his cock encased in denim begging for release. He still had his jeans on from after his shower earlier – why, he had no idea. But he _did_ know that his patience was quickly wearing out. God, what this man did to him should be criminal…..

He twisted his head to begin kissing, licking and nipping Justin's neck lightly as his head rubbed against the pale skin. Once more he breathed in the unique scent that was his partner's alone – some combination of his own expensive brand of soap, a type of after-shave Jennifer had bought him for last Christmas, and just some indecipherable scent that was his partner's alone. He knew if he ever lost his sight, he would have no problem finding Justin in a crowded room; all he would have to do was get a whiff of him and he would know instantly where he was.

"How was work today?" Justin asked softly, trying to sound nonplussed. Inside, though, he was still feeling apprehensive and just a bit insecure about the handsome, Italian sports car otherwise known as Andrea Ferrari that Brian had recently hired. It wasn't that he was unsure about Brian's feelings toward him. He knew Brian loved him, and he knew his partner was actually trying to make a concerted effort to curtail his 'extra-curricular activities' tremendously since they had gotten back together, but this man was in a category by himself. He was perfect for Brian: he was tall, handsome, confident, and had a sexy tone of voice with that Italian accent – all attributes that would normally be impossible for his partner to resist. Brian had reassured him that he hadn't fucked the guy; but how did he know what might have happened after he left? And if he _had_ remained faithful to his promise, how long would Brian be able to resist such an attractive man?

Brian didn't have any trouble figuring out what Justin was asking, hidden in that relatively innocuous question. Someone was still worried about his perceived 'competition,' even though he had no reason to be. His heart was firmly possessed lock, stock, and barrel by the man he was holding in his arms at the moment, but it still secretly thrilled him that Justin could be this jealous. Of course, once his partner found out he was going to have to go away with the man for a little while, it probably wasn't going to help assuage his needless feelings of uncertainty.

"It went good, actually," he said. "Remember the Madsen Instruments account I've been trying to latch onto for the past five years?"

Justin turned slightly in Brian's embrace to stare into his partner's face. "You mean the one who's got all those stores across the Midwest? The company that's the main supplier for all those schools?"

Brian's face lit up as he nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I had a meeting with Madsen himself this afternoon and I think he's finally ready to get on board."

Justin smiled warmly, happy for Brian's success. "That's great, Brian!" he exclaimed. "That's a really big account if I remember correctly." He noticed how Brian's eyes were aglow with accomplishment over the thought of being able to finally obtain such a sought-after company; his partner was always so excited when he scored a big coup such as this client and it made his face even more handsome to him.

Brian nodded in confirmation as he leaned down to give Justin a brief but sound kiss before he pulled back to stare into the sapphire blue eyes. "Yeah, it is. He's got several hundred franchises throughout the northeast." His eyes shone as he added, "This could be a million-dollar account easily." He grinned affectionately down at his partner. "Got to work my ass off to keep you in the lap of luxury that you're accustomed to," he teased.

"Very funny," Justin retorted, slightly offended by Brian's insinuation of him being a 'kept man.' He was fiercely determined never to feel like a burden to his partner, and he fully intended to pay him back for every fucking penny he had ever spent on him; just the thought of Brian even kidding about him having to take care of him made him feel like less than a man. "You know I'm going to pay you back for everything you've spent on me, Brian," he said defensively, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

_Damn it_. Brian knew that tone; he realized that was obviously a stupid thing to say, knowing how touchy a subject it had always been, but he hadn't thought before he spoke and he had simply meant it as a joke. Justin, however, was clearly not amused. "Justin….you know I was kidding," he said softly, his mouth twisting up at his partner fondly as he stared into the stubborn eyes. "I never thought of you that way, Sunshine. Never have and never will."

His brow rose silently as he waited for Justin to realize he meant what he had said. Finally, he saw the blond's face soften ever so slightly in acceptance and he breathed an internal sigh of relief, knowing he had dodged a bullet. Justin turned around then, leaning his body back to lie more fully against Brian's; the brunet's hands tightened more firmly around the slim waist as he rubbed his head against Justin's cheek and he uttered softly in his ear, "You know how I feel about you, Justin." And so did he – he loved this man with every fiber of his being, no matter _how _lesbionic it sounded.

He heard Justin whisper out a small "oh" of surprise over his heartfelt statement and his partner breathing softly in his arms, feeling the slow, regular rhythm of his partner's heart beating against his body as they just lay there for several seconds, enjoying each other's company. Suddenly, it didn't matter so much that he wasn't in the midst of fucking Justin's brains out; this didn't feel so bad, either, he decided, as he closed his eyes in contentment, lulled unexpectedly to sleep a few minutes later by a sound more soothing than the ocean at low tide.

* * *

_The Next Morning – Loft_

Brian rushed to down the last bit of guava juice in his glass before walking over to place it in the sink. "What time do you get out of school today?" he asked as he turned around to observe Justin, who was sitting on one of the counter stools, scarfing down the last bite of his waffle. The box of now half-eaten chocolates that Justin had indulged in last night after they ate their pasta was lying next to his breakfast plate; no doubt the rest of them would disappear after his partner got home later this afternoon. He shook his head in amazement; where his lover fit all that food into such a tiny stomach was beyond him, but he couldn't argue that he was still as trim and sexy as ever as he admired the way Justin's long-sleeved, orange-colored tee shirt fit over his chest and stomach like it had been made for him.

He imagined his little blond was a little sore this morning, at least in one part of his anatomy. After the two of them had dosed off on the couch after dinner, he had woken up around midnight and had nudged his partner slightly to wake him up as well; he had remembered that there was a little urgent, 'unfinished' business the two had needed to attend to. His partner had groggily gotten to his feet and began to trudge over to the bedroom but wasn't fast enough for his taste. He had simply picked him up, fireman style, slung him over his shoulder and carried him hurriedly over to the bed to throw him unceremoniously down in the middle of the mattress.

At least he had been able to make short shrift of the apron Justin was still wearing; if he had his druthers, his partner could wear that particular piece of clothing every day – at least in the loft. From there, it had been a simple matter of pushing his jeans down his legs and stepping out of them before he joined his hot little blond on their bed and proceeded to suck, fuck, lick, nip, kiss, and suckle ever delectable inch of the man until Justin was a blithering, writhing bundle of frustration and desire. Of course, that made him even _hornier_ himself, so once he finally fucked him, it hadn't taken very long at all for both of them to come explosively. He smirked at Justin, who rolled his eyes in clear realization of just exactly Brian was thinking about.

"This is my late day," he reminded Brian. "I don't get out until 4." He noticed a weird expression flicker across his partner's face, but he wasn't sure exactly what it was; hesitation? "Why?" he asked curiously as he stared over his partner, who was picking up his briefcase in preparation to leave.

Brian really had meant to broach this rather unpleasant topic last night, but between eating dinner, and, yes damn it, _cuddling_ on the couch before falling asleep with him and fucking Justin senseless in their bed afterward, he hadn't found just the right time to tell him. But now he had no choice. "I have to go out of town later today on business – I'll be flying out before you get home." He had a suitcase already packed at Kinnetik just for the frequent, overnight trips he had to take; if he had come out of their bedroom with a suitcase in hand this morning that would have been a dead giveaway that he had to fly out on yet another business foray.

Justin's mouth dropped open slightly at his surprise announcement; Brian was just now getting around to telling him this? "Where?"

"Philadelphia," he told his partner. "It's for the Madsen Instruments account I was telling you about last night," he explained. "He likes the new ad campaign but wants us to present it to his Board of Directors to get their opinion before he agrees to it."

Justin was nothing but observant. "_Us_?" he replied as he placed his fork down on his plate, his food all but forgotten now. "What do you mean… _us?"_ Somehow this little bombshell announcement was sounding more and more ominous to him, especially once he noticed Brian looking noticeably and atypically uncomfortable. "Brian?" he pressed, staring into the greenish-gold eyes.

"Madsen wants the artist responsible for the storyboards with me in case his board wants to make any minor changes to the graphics," he explained sensibly, hoping that would appease Justin, but intrinsically he knew it wouldn't. He watched with a sense of foreboding as the blue eyes darkened with realization.

"You're taking _him_?" Justin huffed in disbelief.

"Justin….."

"Just when were you planning on telling me this, Brian? After the plane left? After you got to Philadelphia…or was it going to be after you fucked him?" He knew he was being unfair to Brian – his partner hadn't given him any reason to disbelieve his vow that he wouldn't do that – but it still made his insecurities flare up anyway. After all, Brian was an extremely sexy, handsome and successful man – any man would die for the position that he was in presently, and they were just waiting in the wings, watching for the opportunity to do precisely that. A lot of men would have no problems whatsoever replacing him as Brian's partner – and enjoying having everything taken care of, despite the appearance of being 'bought' that he so detested personally.

"Answer me, Brian," he persisted.

Brian sighed as he placed his briefcase down on the counter. "I meant to tell you last night, Justin," he began, knowing how lame that sounded, even to his own ears, but it was the truth. "I did," he insisted, noticing Justin shaking his head in disbelief and rolling his eyes. His heart sank in distress as he noticed the beginning signs of Justin's 'allergies' arising. He walked around the counter toward his partner, wondering what more he could do to convince Justin that he had meant what he had said before. He loved the little shit, no matter _how_ immature he could be at times.

True to form, Justin childishly turned his head away from Brian as he approached, but fortunately for the brunet, the bar stool swiveled; he simply grasped the back of the chair and turned his partner's body toward him. He sighed. He really didn't have time to assuage Justin's insecurities over their relationship but then again, he couldn't afford not to; there was no way he was leaving under these terms. Hadn't he made his feelings for him clear enough before, though, when that fucker Chamberlain had pursued _him_? Why was this any different?

He reached down to firmly grasp Justin's chin and forced his head to look up into his face; he regretted the pain etched in the beautiful blue eyes as Justin stared back defiantly at him. "You are such a stubborn little fucker, Justin Taylor," he stated tenderly. "I told you before – I didn't fuck the man and I have no intention of doing so now or in the future," he stated unequivocally. "Besides, Sunshine, I learned my lesson with that asshole Kip. I haven't fucked any other employee since then and I don't plan on doing it now." He stared into the still-disbelieving eyes. "It's not worth losing my business over it."

He slowly caressed the pale flesh, hoping somehow that Justin would intrinsically understand what he was really trying to say. There was more to it than that; even if he felt safe doing so, he wouldn't do it anyway – not when he had this man to come home to every night. "It's only for one night," he added softly, trying to mollify his partner who stared silently back at him. "Madsen wanted to meet first thing tomorrow, so I had no choice. I'll be back mid-day Friday. You won't even know I'm gone," he stated almost flippantly, hoping to at least evoke a slight smile out of the lush, pouting lips, but he was disappointed to not see so much as a flicker there. "Justin….Cynthia booked _two_ rooms for us. You have nothing to worry about, okay?" _Come on, Sunshine, cut me some flack here…._

His partner at last spoke up. "That doesn't mean Andy can't just walk down the hall and barge in, flaunting his bony ass in your horny little face," he pointed out stiffly.

Brian smiled, sensing that Justin might be caving in, at least a little. "First of all, I would have to let _Andy_ in to do that and it takes two to fuck – at least in a good, life-affirming way. And second of all, why would I even want his _bony ass_, as you so succinctly put it, when I have your tight, hot little ass all ready and waiting for me when I get home?" He curled his lips under in the way he knew always got him what he wanted, but this time he wasn't so sure it was working.

Gradually, though, he finally saw just a glimmer of trust reappearing in the crystal-blue eyes. "Maybe because my tight, hot little ass won't be available to you _tonight_," he pointed out, twisting his mouth ruefully.

Brian smiled. "Maybe not the real thing," he said softly. "But that's what webcams are for. I think I can hold out with a virtual facsimile until I can get home tomorrow to enjoy the real thing. You know how much it turns me on to see you touch yourself," he whispered, feeling his cock hardening just at the thought. "What time do you get out of school tomorrow? I'll come pick you up so we don't waste any precious time."

Justin finally shook his head slightly and smiled just the wisp of a smile in defeat. "1:00," he said. "It's my short day."

"I thought so," Brian said to him softly. "I'll be waiting for you, then, when you get out; my plane's supposed to arrive tomorrow around noon. And I'll call you tonight when I get to my hotel room. Just make sure you have your computer booted up and your hot little ass lubed and ready for some long-distance fucking when I call; you know how hooking a big account makes me horny."

He leaned down then to place a soft, lingering kiss on the blond's lips, noting with relief when Justin opened his mouth to permit him to deepen it. He really hated to leave his partner – he would never admit it aloud, but he eagerly looked forward to every moment he spent with Justin, and it was getting harder and harder to be away from him, even for a night.

Justin huffed softly as they finally broke apart. "Just make sure you don't make any detours along the way before you get back there," he warned as Brian grinned back at him.

"I promise, _Mr. Taylor_," he whispered softly before giving Justin one additional quick peck on the lips and picking up his briefcase to leave.

As Brian slid the loft door closed a minute later, leaving Justin alone in the now-quiet and suddenly lonely-feeling room, he sighed, hoping silently that Brian would be able to keep his word. He trusted Brian – he had never lied to him before – but he definitely _didn't_ trust that snake Ferrari. Picking up his portfolio and books for his art classes, he walked over to the door and repeated the same action as Brian, trying hard to push such disconcerting thoughts from his mind.

* * *

_Same Day – 4:00 p.m._

"Brian!" Ferrari waved to get his boss' attention in the Platinum Room of Liberty Airlines; it was 45 minutes until they were scheduled to depart, and Brian had suggested they meet in the opulently-appointed, first-class frequent-flier room reserved for the more well-to-do clients of the airline. The leather couches and chairs certainly beat the hard, stuffed vinyl navy-blue utility chairs most passengers had to endure. And the glass of scotch he was enjoying presently didn't hurt, either.

As Brian acknowledged him with a nod of his head, he took a moment to admire the elegantly-attired other man; even in casual business clothes, Brian was a stunner: tall, dark-haired, angular and trim, muscular but not in an overly-cartoonish way, long legs and arms, and a flat, perfectly-defined chest. As always, he was perfectly polished from head to toe and drew appreciative glances everywhere he went from both females and males, including him.

It wasn't that he was ugly by any means – with his looks, confidence, and accent (that always drove the women wild, especially), he was also used to getting frequent accolades from others. But there was something powerful and thrilling about Brian Kinney, something that made him wild with desire and made his body come alive in a way no other man had managed to do before. It was a feeling he was accustomed to receiving, not giving, but oddly it didn't make him nervous. Instead, it filled him with exhilaration and lust – feelings he had up until now cautiously tamped down so as not to come across as too aggressive or obvious.

Once he and Brian were in the hotel, however, away from other distractions including the man's obnoxious partner, things would be different. He knew he and Brian were very much alike – both assertive, bold, and driven – and he knew just what to do to make another man hot for him. And he wanted his boss badly, almost like a sickness; yes, before the night was over, Brian would find out just how much.

He smiled as his handsome boss approached him and nodding to him, sitting down next to him in one of the other leather chairs as he placed his briefcase on the other side. Yes, this was going to be a very productive business trip – in more ways than one.


	4. Manipulations and Misunderstandings

_Two Hours Later: Radisson Hotel Philadelphia_

"Wow, Cynthia wasn't kidding when she said the hotel was going to be busy this weekend," Brian commented as he and Andrea walked into the lobby carrying their luggage and he observed the large crowd gathered there; the expansive area was full of visitors either sitting in the bar nearby, lounging in the seating areas speaking on cell phones or working with computers, or walking to or from the building's entrance. Several people, mainly men in business suits, stood at the check-in area, waiting to check in and receive their key cards. Between the sound of conversation, liquor glasses clinking in the bar, and the light jazz music floating overhead, the din was quite loud for a hotel lobby.

A young, dark-haired woman wearing the maroon-colored uniform of the hotel smiled appreciatively at the two handsome people approaching the front desk; her eyes couldn't help sweeping over the two men – both tall; one with dark brown hair with golden-colored skin, and the other one black-headed with piercing green eyes and more of an olive complexion. As they walked toward her with matching, elegant strides, they definitely made a very striking picture. "May I help you?" she asked politely, her voice coming out just a bit high-pitched from being in such close proximity to two such handsome men.

Brian smiled at her as he nodded, used to receiving that sort of reaction from both sexes. "Yes, I have two rooms reserved under the name of Kinney…..Brian Kinney," he told her efficiently as he set his small suitcase down next to Andrea's on the highly-polished, marbled floor. He watched while the woman nodded as she began to punch in some information into her computer terminal. He watched as a slight frown flickered across her face a few seconds later, though, before she raised her eyes to peer back at the two men rather apologetically. "You said _two _rooms?" she asked.

"Yes," Brian verified. "Is there some type of problem?"

Andrea held his breath; he felt this would be the trickiest part of the entire process. If he could get past this hotel employee without his subterfuge being discovered, the rest should be relatively easy. All he had to do was get his sexy boss upstairs for a little demonstration of his other talents in addition to his art and the two of them would be spending the rest of the night fucking each other's brains out; while he was normally a top in his sexual encounters, for _this_ glorious-looking man, he would be more than willing to take turns.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kinney," the woman said, peering back at him in confusion. "I only show one room reserved for your stay; just for tonight, right?"

Brian sighed in aggravation; couldn't the hotel get just one fucking reservation correct? He was convinced Cynthia hadn't messed up; she was always accurate as hell whenever she made travel arrangements for him. "Yes, it's only for tonight, but I had my assistant reserve _two_ rooms, not one. I need both rooms," he repeated firmly; there was no way, especially with Justin's reaction earlier, that he was sharing a room with Ferrari.

The woman stared at Brian a little uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kinney, but the hotel is completely booked all the way through to Sunday evening," she informed him. There is a major political convention being held here this weekend," she explained. "The one room is all we have available. I could call one of the other hotels to see about availability there," she suggested.

Brian sighed heavily; this was the normal hotel he stayed out whenever he had business in Philadelphia and he preferred this one; but he _also_ preferred to keep his partner happy, and he knew what would happen if Justin got the wrong idea about their unfortunate arrangements. "Yeah….I'd like you to do that," he decided. "But I'd like at least a 4-star hotel." Even he had his standards, he decided. He detested sleeping on lumpy, hard, foam-rubber mattresses.

The woman nodded. "Of course. If you and your associate would like to wait over there, I'll have someone summon you as soon as I can arrange something else for you; it should only take a few minutes."

Brian nodded a little sourly, still irritated that such a prestigious hotel had managed to mess up a simple room reservation. "Come on, Andrea," he said, picking up his luggage as the other man mimicked his action. "Can you fucking believe this?" he muttered to him as they walked over together to a nearby beige-colored leather couch and plopped down, resting their luggage at their feet. "One stinking night, and they fuck up the room arrangements."

"Yeah," Andrea agreed. "You'd think a 5-star hotel could manage to keep their records straight," he commiserated, silently crossing his fingers that the downtown area was as packed with convention goers as he had been led to believe. He hadn't counted on Brian being willing to move to another hotel; this was the closest one to their client's meeting place tomorrow, so he had just assumed he could convince Brian to share a room. Unfortunately he hadn't the chance to even suggest it before Brian was asked if he was willing to go to a different establishment. _Well_, he thought, _if this doesn't work out I'm not giving up….._

He watched as his boss reached into his suit pocket to retrieve his cell phone and press a single digit number. He seethed inside, knowing instinctively who his boss was calling. Sure enough, he watched as Brian's face broke out into what could only be termed a tender smile and heard the handsome man's voice soften as he uttered into the phone, "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Justin replied, smiling at the sound of his partner's fluid, sexy voice; he had just walked into the loft and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge before he heard the sound of his cell phone ringing. "I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Kinney, but I didn't expect your call so soon. My ass just walked in the door, so it's not quite 'lubed and ready' for you as you so poetically put it earlier."

Brian chuckled softly as he lowered his voice. "Well, I'm not quite ready yet, either," he admitted. "Although, I could be in pretty short order – if I was in a less-public place."

"Where are you?" Justin asked, walking over to sit down on the couch; he idly picked up a dark-blue pillow lying there and hugged it to his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of his lover still emanating from it. He indulged in the fragrance of Brian's aftershave and cologne on the fabric and bit back the feeling of longing that suddenly arose in his heart in response. Brian had only been gone a few hours and he already missed him terribly. He knew he would miss him even more tonight when he finally tried to get some sleep. His partner had finally become accustomed to spooning together when they slept and it always helped Justin drift quickly off to sleep – that and a vigorous round of fucking ; that never hurt, either.

"Andrea and I are in the hotel lobby, waiting to check in," Brian informed him. He intentionally didn't mention to Justin that the Radisson had screwed up their hotel room reservations; he saw no reason to get his partner upset over something that was going to be rectified shortly. Brian turned his head away from his business associate to whisper into the phone, "I just wanted to call and hear your voice, that's all."

He could hear Justin breathe out a smile of delight into the phone before he said simply, "I'm glad." Brian heard a sharper tone arise in his lover's voice as he asked, "How's Andy?"

Brian smirked, not missing the obvious tinge of jealousy that crept into Justin's voice. "He's fine," he told him. "Sitting here with me – _in the lobby_. Remember what I said, okay?"

"Lubed and ready – got it."

Brian snorted. "That's not what I meant, Justin, and you know it."

"Yeah, I know what you meant," Justin whispered back. He paused for a second before he asked, "Just hurry up and work your magic tomorrow so you can come home quickly, okay?"

Brian smiled. "I always wow the client, you know that," he bragged. "I'll be home before you know it," he reassured him. "And don't forget the _other_ thing I told you – I'll call you later tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Justin said; he was about to utter their traditional, nonchalant closing when he decided to vary their normal tradition just a bit. "I love you – later," he whispered later.

One side of Brian's mouth rose in affectionate reaction. "Yeah…..me too," he breathed out; he was a little surprised how easily the backhanded expression of love had slipped out. "Later," he added softly before he thought fully flipped the phone shut and smiled at the anticipation of seeing a very naked and horny Justin later on his webcam; technology was definitely a wonderful thing, and it would do for one night, but he would never replace the real thing. He forced himself to shift his attention to his critical presentation tomorrow morning; now was not a very prudent time to be sporting an impressive woody, and just the thought of what he and his partner would be talking about later – and doing – threatened to create a set of circumstances he would rather not have to explain.

From his seat next to Brian, Andrea had sat there fuming as he overheard every bit of his boss's conversation with the man he had subsequently replaced – at least at Kinnetik. Couldn't this man see that Taylor was no match for his intelligence, business acumen and passion? HE was a much more compatible match, both mentally _and_ physically. Apparently, though, from the almost loving tone in Brian's voice, his boss was totally bamboozled by the blond upstart. The young artist must be a great lay; that was the only explanation as to why Brian would be even remotely hooked up with him. Well, it would just be up to him to prove that he was a far superior choice for a partner to his boss tonight – if things worked the way he wanted them to, that is….. He looked up in anxious anticipation as he noticed the same, dark-haired employee walking over to them. "Brian," he said, grabbing his boss's sleeve to get his attention.

Brian looked up expectantly as the woman approached, but his brow creased in consternation at the woman's look of regret as he stood up to greet her.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Kinney," she informed him. "I have called every 4-star or greater hotel within a 15-mile radius and every hotel is solidly booked due to the convention taking place. The best I could do is an Embassy Suites in Chester – that's about 16 miles from here."

Brian sighed in aggravation. "No, I am NOT staying that far away," he told her adamantly. "I have a business meeting at 8:00 tomorrow morning." He huffed in anger. "How the fuck did my reservation get screwed up anyway?"

"I'm sorry; I don't know the answer to that question. Normally we can track the initial reservation and any change requests, but our system crashed a few minutes ago. We're having to process check-ins manually right now." She stood there, feeling somewhat helpless. "Again, I apologize, but there's just no hotel rooms available matching your criteria nearby."

Brian shook his head in frustration as Andrea gloated internally; this was perfect, just perfect. Now all he had to do was play his role convincingly enough…... "Uh, Brian?" he began, standing up to join his boss.

Brian glanced over at him, still perturbed, and spat out a curt, "Yes?"

Ferrari placed his most practical, business-looking expression on his face as he said, "Look…it's just for the one night, and the room is a suite; it's got a separate bedroom and a pull-out couch, right?" he asked, looking over at the young woman who nodded in confirmation. "We're both adults; we can handle one night like that, can't we?" he asked reasonably, casually placing his hands on his hips as he stared into Brian's face; he hoped the look in his eyes was one of nonchalant, common sense, and did not betray the lust threatening to invade every pore of his body as his looked at his glorious specimen of a boss. Just the thought of having this man all to himself in the hotel room's king-sized bed and bathroom Jacuzzi, and what he could do with him was making him horny as hell. He knew, though, that he had to play this one low-key if he was going to get what he wanted…..

Brian brushed one hand through his hair restlessly; this was NOT working out at all the way he had anticipated. And despite the rather sensible solution his employee was suggesting, he knew what would happen if Justin found out before he got home; he would be furious and immediately jump to conclusions. He _did_ know one thing, though, if he had to go through with this unfortunate arrangement; he would have to come clean to his partner upon his return or he knew that somehow it would blow up in his face. He only hoped Justin would believe him and understand that it was not his fault and he had had no choice. He supposed in the long run, then, that it was the best solution.

"I guess you're right," he reluctantly agreed at last as he turned to face the young woman. "Okay. We'll take the one room; but I'd still like you to get to the bottom of how this happened. I've spent a lot of in the past patronizing this hotel, and needless to say, I'm feeling really pissed off right now."

She nodded, relieved that a potential disagreeable encounter had apparently been avoided. "Of course," she told him. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out what happened. If you'll come back over with me to the front desk, I'll get your reservation processed right away."

Brian nodded as he and Andrea followed the woman back over to the front desk, the brunet still silently fuming while his associate prayed that the technical glitch would be a long and extended one; if Brian found out that he had been the one to change the reservation, he would be angry as hell and probably fire his ass. But if he could somehow pull this off, even if Brian _did_ find out afterward, he was convinced it wouldn't matter; by then, his boss would realize they were meant to be together, both on the job and in bed; Justin Taylor would simply be a faint memory by then.

As they stood face to face a few minutes later in the elevator car that was taking them up to the fourth floor, Brian was still bristling over what he perceived as the hotel's incompetency. Not only was he angry that they had messed up their room reservations, he was probably more upset that his plans for him and Justin might have been compromised now; he had not expected to engage in phone sex with Justin while the man that his partner resented was presiding nearby in the suite's other room. Well, he decided, that was too damned bad; he wasn't going to give up being with his partner – at least via long distance – just because some potential voyeur was in the other room. To hell with it.

"I can't believe a hotel like this one could screw up a simple room reservation," Andrea told his boss sympathetically, trying hard to sound regretful but celebrating his good fortune inside. "At least they knocked 50% off the room rate."

Brian snorted as the floor levels slowly ticked off. "That's the least they could fucking do," he growled. "I'm going to remind Cynthia to never again book me a room here; this is damn ridiculous!" He thought for a few seconds. "I should call her and verify that she _did_ reserve the two rooms," he mused as Andrea licked his lips nervously. He realized, though, that even if he _did_ call his assistant, she would have no way of knowing that he had changed the reservations afterward himself. His sighed internally in relief anyway, though, as Brian added, "Hell with it – I know she didn't fuck it up; she's too efficient. It had to be some asshole idiot here at the hotel or wherever their reservation headquarters are." He sighed in resignation. "I guess I can deal with it for one night," he decided. "Then we'll be out of here tomorrow as soon as we meet with our client."

Andrea nodded. "Yeah, it'll be fine," he assured him. _MORE than fine_, he thought as he glanced over appreciatively at his boss, whose eyes were staring at the floor numbers overhead. _God, Kinney was beautiful,_ he couldn't help thinking as he stared at him unabashedly; the car soon came to a halt and the bell signaled the door was about to open as he quickly averted his eyes from the other man.

Several seconds later, they arrived at their hotel room and Brian pushed the key card into the door's slot to swing the door open for both of them to enter; as he surveyed their temporary home-away-home, he noticed it was the same standard, two-room suite he had been used to sharing alone normally. Tonight, though, he would have to endure sharing it with a man he really didn't know that much about. Of course, being with a virtual stranger overnight hadn't normally been an issue before; he had certainly done it enough times in the past. But now it was different; now there was _Justin,_ and for some inexplicable reason just the thought of sleeping in the same hotel room with another man – especially one that Justin intensely disliked – made him feel oddly like he was cheating on him. He sighed; he felt like shit at the moment, both physically and mentally.

"I'm going to go unpack a few things," he indicated as he placed his key card and cell phone down on the nearby coffee table and Andrea nodded in acknowledgment as he sat down on the couch, seemingly indifferent. "And I think I'm going to go take a shower." Between the rather bumpy flight they had had on the way here and the crowd of people pressing around them in the lobby, all he wanted to do at the moment was go indulge under some hot, steaming water as he fantasized about doing something _else_ hot and steamy with a certain blond later….

He walked over to the open doorway of the bedroom with his luggage and softly closed the door behind him, finding to his consternation that there was no internal lock on the door; obviously, under normal circumstances there would be no need for a lock inside a hotel suite, but this wasn't just some ordinary circumstance. He was being forced to share a room for the night with a man that Justin was extremely jealous of. As he placed his suitcase down on the stand, however, and pulled out a fresh change of clothes, he shook his head, realizing how silly that sounded. He and Ferrari were merely co-workers; the man had never given him any reason to feel he wanted anything more than that, and they were here to do business. _For fuck's sake_, he chided himself, _don't be so melodramatic_.

He peeled off his suit jacket and shirt, hanging them up in the closet nearby, before gathering up his other clothing and opening the door to emerge out into the main room. He nodded coolly at his co-worker before turning to walk into the nearby bathroom and closing the door to lock it behind him.

Ferrari tried to keep the outright lust from dripping out of every pore of his body as he got his first look at Brian Kinney unclothed from the waist up; his bronze skin was firm and taut, just as he had thought it would be. He couldn't wait to see the _rest_ of what his boss was hiding underneath his expensive linen pants, although he could certainly surmise it was pretty damn impressive from what he could tell already. He sighed in extreme disappointment as he heard the lock being engaged on the other side of the shower door a few seconds later. Brian certainly did not come across as somehow who was bashful or afraid to show off his body; he must have done that out of his some misguided sense of honor toward his partner. Well, he was still undeterred; it may take a while tonight to get into Brian Kinney's pants, but it _would_ happen….He heard the water being turned on, thinking that wasn't the _only_ 'thing' that was turned on….He had to have this man before the night was over, and he would.

A few minutes later in the shower, Brian had temporarily forgotten all the issues swirling around in his head as he stood inside the marble stall that held a wonderfully powerful, multi-head shower and tried to concentrate on the soothing feeling of the water streaming over his body. He began to imagine Justin was in there with him, standing with his back to him with his perky, little tight ass exposed, the pale flesh practically glowing under the overhead track lighting of the bathroom as he slowly soaped his partner's back and shoulders. He berated himself as he reached down to jack off; he forced himself to push his hand away, deciding he was willing to wait – but just for a short while – to pleasure himself in front of his partner instead. _God, Justin….I miss you so fucking much_.

* * *

_Same Time – Pittsburgh – Brian's Loft_

Justin had quickly finished his homework assignment – a short essay on modern art and its most influential artists of the 20th century – about thirty minutes ago and had already polished off the leftovers of his Pasta Alfredo from last night. Now, as he sat there on the couch trying to watch some documentary on film animation, he normally would have been engrossed in such a topic. But the quietness invading the spacious loft space because of his partner being gone merely filled him with loneliness.

He had thought about calling Daphne to come over and watch a movie with him, and had even gone so far as to pick up his phone to do so; however, at the last minute, he had recalled she was going out of town yesterday to visit some relative until this coming Sunday. He had even thought of calling Emmett to see if he wanted to go to Woody's, but for some reason, his heart just wasn't in it.

Now, as he sat there, his eyes glassy and fixed and not staring at anything in particular, he realized why his heart wasn't in it – his heart was currently residing several hundred miles away in the City of Brotherly Love. He sighed; when did he become such a sniveling, sentimental, lovesick idiot? Oh, yeah….about the time he met Brian and the man took him home to fuck him and he never left. He smiled, though – at least things had changed radically from the time Brian had accused him of being a stalker; considering the initial title Brian had given, he had come a long, long way. He was more of an equal with him now, and it made him feel so good.

He glanced over at the clock, noticing it was now 6:30 p.m. He knew it was early and Brian had promised to call _him_, but he just couldn't wait any longer; he had to talk to his partner and hear his sexy voice. Besides, on the rare occasions when they were apart and had to resort to the webcam to get each other off, it wasn't unusual for them to wind up literally spending hours in view of their laptops, lying in bed fucking themselves as they fantasized it was each other doing it, peppered in between with sensual, sexy rounds of dirty talk. Just the thought right now made Justin's heart begin to beat faster in anticipation. It would never be the same as being with Brian personally, he knew, but it was better than nothing and it gave him something to look forward to when his partner returned.

Smiling to himself since he knew Brian wouldn't mind in the least if he started things off a little early, he leaned over to retrieve his cell phone lying on the glass coffee table and flipped it open to dial Brian's number. The phone rang four times before, to Justin's immense disappointment, he heard his partner's familiar voicemail greeting. He didn't _want_ to leave a message for Brian, though; he wanted to _talk to _him. "Brian, where _are_ you, you asshole?" he chided him into the phone before hanging up. He sat there pensively for a few seconds before he stood up and walked over to Brian's desk near the door, ruffling through the narrow desk drawer in the middle until he located his partner's thin, black leather address book. Leafing through the pages, he located the number for the Radisson Hotel he knew Brian normally stayed at. Smiling, he punched in the number and waited for it to ring.

"Radisson Hotel Philadelphia, this is Will speaking. How may I help you?"

"Could you please ring the room for Brian Kinney, please?" Justin asked.

"One moment, Sir," was the reply. Justin's heart sped up just a little at the thought of hearing his lover's velvety voice as he began to walk over toward his laptop, already set up on the bed's night table and booted up, ready for a little one-on-one, long-distance fucking action. _Come on, Brian….pick up the phone_, he pleaded as he waited impatiently. Finally, he heard the phone connect and a voice answering, only it wasn't the voice he was hoping to hear.

"Hello?"

Justin frowned. "Is this Brian Kinney's room?" he asked hesitantly.

Ferrari recognized the caller's voice instantly and smiled; this was too good to be true…..It couldn't have worked out better if he had tried. "Yeah, it's Brian's room," he said casually as if it were the most natural thing in the world; he made sure to sound like he was struggling to breathe a little as he answered.

"Who IS this?" Justin demanded, although his heart sank with dread as he realized who the man with the distinctive accent had to be.

"Taylor? Is that you?" Andrea said, enjoying the conversation immensely. He let out an exhale of breath as if he were calming his respiration down after some type of exertion.

"Yeah, that's right….._Andy_," Justin retorted. "What the fuck are you doing answering the phone in Brian's room? Where is he?"

"Brian's room?" Andrea responded, smiling to himself; he made sure, however, to keep any hint of amusement or surprise out of his voice as he added, "This is _our _room; we're sharing it." _Well….it WAS the truth_, he told himself. "He's indisposed at the moment," the arrogant man explained vaguely as Justin fumed. "You really don't want to know why, though, trust me," he said with a little laugh. "Oh, wait, though….you two have an open relationship, don't you? Maybe it wouldn't matter then."

"Put him on the phone, Ferrari!" Justin snarled. "NOW!" _What the fuck was this man trying to pull_? He thought. He had to talk to Brian.

"Sorry," the other man told him with a laugh. "We just got out of the shower and he's not out just yet. Sex between men can be so messy, can't it?" he said with a chuckle.

Justin blood began to boil at simply the idea of Brian with this arrogant, haughty man; he knew it wasn't possible, was it? Brian had promised him, hadn't he? But he still couldn't help the tendrils of doubt from emerging in his mind. "I want to talk to Brian," he enunciated slowly. "Put him on the fucking phone NOW, Ferrari, or I will make sure he fires your ass!"

"Sorry, Taylor, no can do. I told you – he's in the bathroom cleaning up before our next round; he _does_ have quite the stamina, doesn't he? He almost wore me out! And that cock and those lips – holy shit!"

Justin seethed as his face reddened in anger; he couldn't believe the nerve of this man. Once he found out about his lies Brian would have his ass out on the street so fast, the man wouldn't even have time to catch the door as it hit him on the way out. "I don't know what game you think you're playing, _Andy_, but I'm not buying it. Do you really think I won't be able to reach Brian and tell him what you're up to? Because I know you're lying through your fucking teeth!"

"No, I'm not," Ferrari reassured him smugly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think we're going to check out the Jacuzzi before bedtime; it's Brian's turn to top now." He laughed and hurriedly slammed the phone down before Justin had a chance to respond; _that was all too easy_….. Before he forgot, though, he had some issues to take care of. Listening to make sure his boss was still in the shower, he quickly dialed the number for the front desk.

"Uh, yes, this is Brian Kinney in Room 405. Could you please hold all my calls until further notice? I'm going to catch some shut eye and do not want to be disturbed… Thank you." He nodded in satisfaction as he walked over to the door to locate the "Do Not Disturb" hanger and opened the door to place it on the outside; he wanted to ensure that no one would interrupt them.

Plodding back over to the coffee table, he picked up Brian's cell phone and turned it over, locating the small latch to open up the back. Retrieving the square oxide battery, he glanced over nervously toward the bathroom door to make sure Brian was still taking his shower before he hastily closed the back of the phone and returned it to its original location on the coffee table. Walking over to the balcony, he swung the sliding glass door and quickly flung the battery over the railing before shutting the door back as if nothing was remiss. He smiled; mission accomplished. Now all he had to do was wait until Brian came back out from the shower. He reached down to squeeze his quickly-hardening cock and groaned at the thought of the two of them together; it was going to be quite an enjoyable night.

Justin snapped his phone down in fury; he had called right back to ask for Brian's room again, only to be told he had left instructions that he was not receiving calls until further notice. He almost threw his cell phone across the loft in frustration, but he knew that wouldn't help matters any. What could he do now? There was no fucking way he was going to let that asshole get away with his lies; he knew the man had to be making all that bullshit up about the two of them sharing a room. Brian had assured him he had reserved _two_ rooms, and he had no reason to doubt him – did he? Just what the hell was going on?

He flipped his phone back open, dialing the hotel's number once more. This time he received a different employee. "Good Evening, Hotel Radisson Philadelphia, Suzanne speaking. How may I help you?"

Yes…could you ring the room for Andrea Ferrari?"

"Ferrari?

"Yes….F-E-R-R-A-R-I." _F…..as in fucker…._

"One moment, please." Justin waited several pregnant seconds before he heard the same woman come back on the phone. "I'm sorry, Sir. Let me repeat the name again. You said F-E-R-R-A-R-I?"

"Yes," Justin said somewhat impatiently, his heart beginning to beat just a little faster.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't show anyone registered by that name at the hotel."

"Oh," he answered, crestfallen before a sudden thought occurred to him. "Wait! Could you tell me if another guest has _two_ rooms booked? Maybe he's booked under his co-worker's name."

"Well, I guess I could check on that. What's the other name?"

"Kinney. Brian Kinney. K-I-N-N-E-Y."

"Just a moment," the woman told him politely. About a minute later, she came back onto the line. "I'm sorry it's taking so long to answer your questions, Sir," she explained. "We're having some technical problems at the moment and I'm having to find the information manually. I _do_ show one room registered under that second name, but only one. And I'm afraid he's given the front desk instructions not to be disturbed. I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.

Justin closed his eyes. _No, I won't go there…..I REFUSE to go there, _his head was telling him. His heart, however, was another matter. "No," he whispered. "Nothing else," he managed to add before he closed his phone shut and sat down heavily on the couch. _Brian….what's going on? Tell me you didn't lie to me…._

There was one more thing he could do – standing up, he walked over to the bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed, tapping a key on the laptop to boot it back up from sleep mode. He quickly accessed his e-mail account, hoping anxiously that Brian had tried to contact him, but there was nothing there. He rubbed one hand behind his neck restlessly as he jiggled his knees. He trusted Brian, didn't he? If he didn't, there wasn't even any point in trying to make their relationship work, because that was what they were so fervently trying to build it on. If they didn't have that foundation, it was all for naught. But Ferrari was another matter – he didn't trust him any farther than the end of his finger. He had _Kip Thomas_ written all over him, and if Brian wasn't careful, this man could make trouble for him, too.

He brushed his now sweaty palms rapidly across his denim-clad thighs a few times before, his mind made up, he made a snap decision. Bounding up from his seated position, he rushed over to the counter and, grabbing his keys, practically ran over to the loft door and swung it open. Activating the security alarm, he hurried down the steps and out the back door to the parking garage.

Two minutes later, he had Brian's old Jeep pulled out of its parking spot and out onto the main street, heading toward Philadelphia.


	5. Head On Collision!

Justin restlessly brushed some rebellious hair out of his eyes as he clutched the steering wheel tightly with his other hand, his knuckles white from gripping it so hard. He had tried calling Brian's cell four more times since he had left; it went directly into his voicemail each time, and after the second time when his voice was bordering on sounding notoriously like some suspicious little housewife, he had decided not to leave any more messages.

This whole situation was damn peculiar; he knew if Brian was out of town on business, he _never_ put his cell on that setting, because invariably it seemed that Ted, Cynthia, or someone else at the office would need him to answer some sort of question about Kinnetik business. So why was he doing it _now_?

The most logical answer that popped into his head made his blood boil and his heart hurt, but he tried furiously to dismiss it as simply not true. It couldn't be what his fertile imagination was trying to make it out to be. He reminded himself that when all was said and done, everything came down to an issue of trust. Did he trust Brian to do what he said he would do? Did he trust in their relationship? Were they at a point where things had changed – that Brian wanted to only be in a relationship with _him_?

Brian had never lied to him before about his need – or was it just plain desire – to fuck other guys; in fact, he pretty much flaunted that fact in his face at times. He couldn't count the number of times he had come back to the loft, only to discover Brian was entertaining 'company.' Hotlanta, the zucchini guy, even some young kid from the local video store. Hell, one day he had come home and the pizza guy who had filled in temporarily for the middle-aged, bald-headed delivery guy they normally had – the same one who had delivered their pizza the night before – was back for 'dessert' in Brian's bed. He never knew _who_ would show up, since Brian fucked a different one each time. _At least he's following my rules,_ Justin muttered to himself. It seemed that Brian had paid close attention to the rules HE had set forth for him. _What had he been thinking then, anyway? _Why had he even allowed Brian the option of continuing to fuck other guys, especially in their own bed?

He sighed; maybe that was the whole point – it wasn't _their_ bed, it was Brian's. It was _Brian's_ loft and _Brian's_ life to do with as he chose. It just so happened that despite the fact that he had been the one responsible for establishing the rules, he didn't care for them. He very rarely fucked any other guys – after all, when you had Brian, who needed anyone else? He just wished Brian felt the same way about him…

_Stop it, Justin_, he scolded himself. _You're jumping to conclusions here_. He thought back to the haughty, smug tone of Ferrari's voice on the phone, though, and his face reddened in anger; something was definitely fishy here, and he knew just who the piranha was. As much as he hated to admit, the man _was_ hot – tall, dark wavy hair, muscular but not overly so….just the right package of 'smoldering' good looks that Brian normally adored. He shook his head as he continued to drive toward his destination – he wondered, not for the first time, just what it was that Brian had seen in HIM; he was blond and blue-eyed, just the perfect antithesis of who Brian would normally go for. What had attracted him to _him_? He was barely a man, a kid really, a _scared_ little kid, when he had stepped nervously under that street light so long ago. What had caused Brian to walk up to him and pick HIM out when he could have had any man he wanted that night?

He snorted; it must have been the smell of fresh meat, the smell of a virgin just waiting to be laid. And boy, had Brian followed through; his ass had been sore afterward for the entire week. Even now he flushed at the thought of the emotions that Brian had stirred up in him that night, the sensations he had evoked as he touched, licked, sucked, and fondled every pore of his body until both of them finally collapsed from exhaustion.

"Well, that was then, this is now, Taylor," he said to himself out loud. "You're not some scared little faggot afraid to see his own shadow anymore." As he stared ahead into the inky darkness of the two-lane highway, he thought about what Brian had told him – he was _not_ going to fuck that arrogant man. He had promised – well, as much as promised, anyway – and now he was at a crossroads; he could either choose to believe him and believe _in_ him – in THEM – or he could choose to confront Brian and accuse him of reneging on his vow to him. Which one was it going to be?

He let out an anxious breath, knowing which one he _wanted_ to choose. If it wasn't for Brian's cell being out of commission, no email messages, and there being only one room reserved at the hotel, it would be a no-brainer; he would chalk it all up to Ferrari lying through his teeth due to wishful thinking. But one word kept reverberating through his mind: _why, why, why, why?..._

There had to be logical explanations for all of it, there just had to be; otherwise, there was no point in continuing their relationship because it would be built on lies. He knew Brian cared about him, even loved him in his own way; but was that enough? Could his partner hold off against temptation? Had he already dropped off the precipice and succumbed to it already?

No, he decided. He refused to believe that. He chose, instead, to believe that Ferrari was pulling a fast one on both him and Brian. He reached over to pick his cell phone off the seat next to him, flipping it open to press _redial_ and receiving the same voicemail message as before. He sighed in frustration, but this time he chose to leave another message: _Brian….I don't know why you're not picking up. But….I want you to know that I love you and I trust you. Please call me as soon as you get this. I really need to talk to you._

How needy did _that_ sound? He asked himself with disgust as he snapped the phone shut. But he couldn't help it – he really _did _need to hear Brian's voice, to know everything was okay, that THEY were okay…..He glanced over at the GPS, noting he still had a little over five hours left of drive time. If Brian didn't get back to him soon, he would go fucking crazy until he got there, wondering what in the hell was going on….Just what would he be interrupting in that hotel room when he DID show up? Because he had every intention of marching up to Brian's or Ferrari's or whoever the fuck's room it was and giving Ferrari a piece of his mind – before he laid into him with everything he had. He might be small, but he could more than stand up for himself when he had the proper provocation, and he definitely had the right one this time. The fucking nerve of the man – fabricating a lie about him and Brian being in the shower fucking, and then stating they'd be moving onto the Jacuzzi afterward. "You fucking piece of shit," he growled out loud. Brian would never do that…would he?

"Damn it!" Justin muttered as images of Brian and that sexy Italian sports car fucking each other popped unbidden into his mind. He momentarily squeezed his eyes shut tightly for a second, opening them a short time later to hope that the GPS had somehow miraculously moved up about four hours, but no such luck. He sighed. It was going to be the longest damn five hours of his life…

* * *

_Same Time – Hotel Room – Radisson Hotel Philadelphia_

Brian stood in front of the dual vanity bathroom mirror with a thick, white cotton towel wrapped around his body and slung low on his lean hips as he applied some styling gel to his stubborn hair. He couldn't figure out as he stood there why he felt lost and out of sync for some reason as he wiped the excess gel off on a tissue and ran his hands under the running water before drying them off. It wasn't because he was particularly nervous about tomorrow's presentation; he knew if the CEO was happy with it, the rest of his lemmings would no doubt fall into place, too. He was confident they would land the deal he had been trying to obtain for years now. So what was the problem?

Finally, it hit him. Normally when he was standing here, there was a certain irascible and occasionally impertinent blond standing next to him as they shot zingers back and forth at each other while they shaved, brushed their teeth or combed their hair. He would banter back good-naturedly with Justin before he either eventually took Justin in his arms to bestow a passionate kiss on his warm, waiting lips or he would take his own towel from around his waist and playfully fling it like a slingshot over at Justin's delectable, oh-so-fuckable ass. Of course, then that would wind up making him late for work because he would have to _fuck_ the aforementioned ass into their mattress.

He couldn't help smiling a little at the thought as he recalled he had promised to call said irascible, impertinent blond this evening to take care of a 'little problem' he was fast developing just at the thought of being together again with his partner. He vowed to take care of that situation soon as he pulled the towel off. Rubbing it briskly through his hair to tousle it a little, he hurriedly put his jeans on, leaving the top button characteristically undone, as he pushed his arms into the sleeves of a black, cotton shirt. Keeping the shirt unbuttoned as well, he looked at himself in the mirror, satisfied, before walking over to unlock the door and open it.

As he came out into the main area of the suite, he could hear some slow type of clarinet music playing from the portable clock radio situated on the side table next to the sleeper sofa. Looking around, however, he was puzzled to see no sign of his employee. Did Ferrari go somewhere while he was in the shower? He was going to see if he wanted to take a trip downstairs to the bistro located in the hotel's lobby for dinner; despite it being a hotel restaurant, it normally had surprisingly good American type food.

The suite was quiet except for the music playing, though. He shrugged his shoulders; perhaps this was best after all. While Ferrari was satisfying _his_ appetite, he would just take care of satisfying his _own_…..Walking toward the door of the separate bedroom with just that thought in mind, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. He frowned, thinking he hadn't closed the door when he had emerged earlier to take his shower. As he reached to open the door wider, the explanation became quite apparent.

It was Kip Thomas déjà vu all over again; there, lying sideways on top of the king-sized mattress, the sheets pulled back, was his art employee in all his tanned glory, wearing a sultry smile and nothing else. He was propped up on one elbow, facing him. As Brian opened the door wider, Ferrari looked up and eyed him hungrily. "I've been waiting for you, Brian. I was beginning to get lonely," he said huskily, as he leisurely rubbed his free hand up and down his admittedly large cock. His green eyes, darkened with lust, bored into Brian's as he whispered, "Come here and help me take care of this."

The Italian man couldn't help raking his eyes slowly down Brian's body, beginning with his sexily unkempt hair, his toned, muscular arms, and then further down to the well-formed chest that peered out from the form-fitting black shirt he was wearing. His eyes traveled downward toward the wisps of black pubic hair poking out tantalizingly underneath the denim of Brian's jeans, which were more than tailored enough to make out the impressive dimensions of his boss' cock. As he stared back at the intriguing sight in front of him, his hand almost subconsciously began to rub up and down faster on his cock before he forced himself to slow down for fear he would come simply from looking at the gorgeous man standing a few feet away. He patted the mattress beside him. "I can't wait to fuck all night long with you," he said, his voice dripping with desire. "I've been wanting to do this since the first second I saw you," he admitted, feeling now that they were alone he could finally be frank with him.

Brian couldn't help appreciating Ferrari's physique; he was certainly his typical type – dark-haired, tall, piercing green eyes, muscled chest and arms, and long legs that seem to go on forever. And the man's cock – well, it was definitely one of his best assets. It was thick and long – at least eight or nine inches from his best estimation, and after fucking so many tricks over the years, he had developed almost a sixth sense in accurately judging cock measurements. Yes, this man would normally be right up his alley, and he would have liked nothing better than to have this man handed to him on a silver platter just like he was offering to do now. And he knew he could convince the man to keep their liaison between just the two of them; after all, job security was a great tool in helping to persuade people to keep secrets. Yes, no one would know….

No one except him, of course; _he_ would know. He would know that he had broken his promise to Justin not to engage in some _extracurricular activity_ with his handsome employee while he was gone. He would know that he had done something he told Justin he wouldn't do. And he would know that Justin's heart would be broken if he somehow found out. His partner was quite adept at discerning those sorts of things, even if Brian never said a word; it seemed like all he had to do was look in his eyes and he would know the truth – that was how well he knew him by now. Was one night of mindless fucking worth it? He didn't really have to think too long or too hard to know the answer to that question.

"Get dressed," Brian told his employee, his voice hard as steel.

"But….." Ferrari sputtered, eyeing him in shock.

Brian brushed one hand restlessly through his hair. "You heard me," he replied sternly. "I said _get dressed_."

Brian's employee, however, wasn't going to be so easily dismissed. "Why?" He asked incredulously, continuing to lazily finger his cock as he imagined his boss doing it. He wanted Brian so badly, he could almost taste it.

"This is a business trip, Ferrari, not a sex romp," Brian told him. "Now I'm going downstairs to get something to eat. I suggest that you be fully dressed when I get back." The inherent threat was left unspoken, but Brian felt sure his meaning would be quite clear: either get dressed or risk not being employed any more.

He watched as Ferrari almost slithered off the bed, his cock hard with desire as he walked up to him. The black-haired man raised one hand to slowly trail it down Brian's neck to his chest and then onward, down toward his unbuttoned jeans. "You don't mean that," Ferrari purred, still not deterred from his goal. He knew Brian wouldn't be disappointed – he just had to talk him into it first. "No one else will know, Brian," he whispered seductively as his hand crept lower and lower. "You're so fucking hot," he whispered, licking his lips greedily, wantonly.

Brian inhaled a calming breath before letting it out; in another day and age, he would have jumped at the chance for some mindless sex with such an attractive man as Ferrari; it always offered him a release from stress and aggravation, both of which he had experienced in abundance today. And it was always pleasurable and almost dangerously exciting to experience some good old-fashioned fucking with someone new, especially someone as attractive as this man. But that was before; that was before he had promised a certain fiery blond that he would remain faithful to him while he was gone. He paused to understand what he was forgoing before he followed through on his promise; he knew _exactly_ what he would be giving up if he let his physical urges get the better of him and it wasn't worth the cost that would be extracted.

Ferrari didn't miss the look of interest that flickered across his boss' face and his lips twisted into a knowing, smug smile of triumph; he experienced a jolt of surprise, however, as Brian's hand closed tightly around his wrist and deflected his attempt to open his pants; he looked up into steely, almost coal-black eyes boring into his sternly.

"You're right….I am," Brian told him, never one to miss stating the obvious. "But that doesn't change anything." The dark-haired man winced as Brian squeezed his wrist tightly in an almost death-like grip and removed his hand from its position. He stared into Ferrari's eyes in quiet anger at the man's refusal to follow instructions. "I'm going to tell you one more time, Ferrari; _get dressed_." He turned around to head toward the doorway, scooping up his shoes as he went. Just before he left, he flipped back around to say, "You're good at what you do, Ferrari, but you're not irreplaceable or indispensible. Just remember that." And with that last statement, he finally turned to go.

Still standing there in shock a few minutes later as he heard the door softly close, he shook his head in stunned incredulity; Brian Kinney, the man whose reputation for fucking anything and everything had preceded their meeting about his employment, had turned him down? He didn't know if he was more stunned or pissed off. After all, he didn't throw himself at just any man; in fact, typically it was the other way around. If he went to a club or even a fine restaurant, invariably several men would proposition him outright, asking for a quick fuck or even to go home with him. He didn't have to ask for _anyone's_ attention; they were at his disposal to do – or NOT to do with – as he pleased. He wasn't used to being rejected by anyone, not even someone like Brian Kinney. Just what had happened here? He fumed as he stood there. He had seen the look of desire in Kinney's face; he wanted it as badly as HE did. No, he wasn't giving up that easily; he knew that little blond Taylor twink couldn't possibly be giving what a man like Brian Kinney needed…..

He smiled, his decision made. _I don't give up easily. You can run but you can't hide, Kinney….eventually you have to come back here. And I'll be ready for you….. _

* * *

_A Few Minutes Later…._

Brian sat rigidly in the padded restaurant chair, nursing his second round of Beam. He was still fuming over Ferrari's assumption that just because they happened to wind up sharing the same room, that also meant they would be sharing the same bed, too. He should have known the fucker might pull some stunt like that – he hadn't been blind to the man's occasional admiring glances thrown his way at the office when he thought he wasn't looking. Fuck knows he had certainly seen enough of that sort of look to know what his newest employee had been thinking. But he really _had_ learned his lesson with Kip Thomas, and that man wasn't even that attractive – he had just been convenient. He wasn't about to risk losing everything he had worked so hard for just for a one-night stand with Ferrari – even if he _was_ hot.

His lips twisted into a tender smile as he thought of the _other_ reason why he wasn't willing to participate in a fuck fest with him – _Justin_. Little shit; damn it, he _loved_ him….deeply. That was really the reason why he couldn't do it. Despite the fact that Justin might never know, he didn't want to break his promise to him. The risks were just too great, because as astounding as he found it he couldn't imagine his life without him in it. He sighed as he slumped slightly in his chair, his long legs held out straight in front of him. He wasn't sure what was going to happen during his meeting tomorrow with Madsen and his group; if Ferrari was a smart man, though, he would do as Brian asked and they could weather this storm for the good of both of them; otherwise, he was quite prepared to follow through on his 'promise' from before and shove his presumptive ass out the door…He shook his head in resignation; it appeared his goal to go back to the hotel room and engage in some much-needed webcam sex with his partner wasn't going to be possible; he just couldn't do it with Ferrari in the other room. Perhaps another room might still become available through some stroke of good luck; he decided to check back in at the lobby to find out as soon as he had eaten.

Raising his hand slightly to signal the waitress, he ordered his food, concentrating on pushing this unfortunate mess out of the way for the time being. As she walked away, he whipped out his cell phone resting in his pants pocket and flipped it open, frowning as he noticed the phone had no display at all. What the fuck? It was working just fine earlier…

"Damn it," he muttered to himself in disgust as he snapped the phone shut angrily and placed it back into his pocket; he needed to call Justin to let him know their plans for later tonight had been scuttled. He shook his head, feeling the beginning pangs of a migraine starting to form. This was going to be a _long_ night in a lot of ways…..

* * *

_Four Hours Later – Radisson Hotel_

Brian approached the front desk as he walked back into the hotel; after dinner, he had decided to take a walk, partly to clear his head and partly to avoid having to go back up to the hotel room he was being forced to share with Ferrari. He had been out longer than he had planned, but he supposed he was putting off the inevitable as long as he could. As he walked up to the front desk, however, he was hopeful that might be about to change…..

A young woman with red hair pulled back into a ponytail, green eyes and freckles, greeted him with a polite smile. "May I help you, Sir?"

Brian nodded. "Yes. My name is Brian Kinney. I'm in Room 407. When I checked in earlier, I was supposed to have two rooms booked but for some reason there was only one listed. I know the hotel is pretty much sold out, but could you check and see if perhaps you've had some sort of cancellation and have a room available now? My employee and I would really like to have separate rooms." _At least ONE of us would, anyway,_ he thought. _That would certainly make my life a lot easier….._

The woman, who was wearing an employee badge with the name _Melissa_ on it, nodded. "I'll be glad to check, Sir," she told him.

"I take it the computers are back up now?"

She nodded with a grimace. "Yes, thank God. It was a real nightmare earlier."

Brian nodded politely. "I can imagine," he said as he watched her punch in some information into the flat-panel computer's keyboard. After a few seconds, she frowned. "Yes, Mr. Kinney. I have your original reservation and your room allotted to you. And we _did_ get a cancellation earlier, so you're in luck if you want to rent out the other room for your co-worker."

"Is there a problem?" Brian asked, puzzled over her reaction.

"No," she said before glancing over at him and shaking her head with a slight smile. "I was just a little confused; according to the system notes, you called a few days ago to cancel one of the rooms."

"What?" Brian asked incredulous, his brows furrowing in irritation as he leaned his elbows on the counter. "I did no such thing! Is that what it shows?"

She nodded as she licked her lips a little nervously, a little flummoxed over his forceful declaration. "Yes, Sir. It shows you called into our hotel the other day and said you wouldn't need both rooms. You even gave the reservation number."

Brian shook his head. "I don't know what happened, but it wasn't me," he stated emphatically.

The young redhead nodded. "Well, I can go ahead and move your co-worker into the other room if you like."

Brian paused as a sudden flash of epiphany struck him. It had to have been a male who had called in if he had claimed to be him, so it couldn't have been Cynthia. It if wasn't him, then, it could have only been one other man….

"Uh, on second thought, I think we'll make do with the one room," he said abruptly, only half-listening to her confused acknowledgment of "Yes, Sir." His thoughts were concentrated instead on just what he was going to do and say to a certain smug, conceited man upstairs. When _he_ got done with him, Ferrari wouldn't _need_ a room…..

His eyes were dark with fury as he practically stomped over to the elevators, jabbing the button repeatedly as if that would speed the car up. Finally after several seconds, he heard the ding of the signal and barely waited for the descending guests to depart the car before he rushed in and punched the button for the fourth floor, fuming in disgust over the other man's duplicity; Brian had been called a lot of things in his life, but liar had never been one of them…..He had little patience for such people, and even less for one particular man now. "That's it, you arrogant asshole," Brian growled as he paced restlessly back and forth in the elevator car. "You just sealed your own fucking coffin."

* * *

_Same Time_

Ferrari stood back to appreciate his work; the previous guests who had left had been considerate enough to leave a stash of pillar candles with bases in the utility closet, along with matches. He had taken advantage of Brian being gone to prepare the room just right. In addition to the candles now glowing softly in the suite, he had arranged for Room Service to bring up some chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne; his body tingled just at the thought of dribbling the bubbly all over Brian's lean, sinewy chest and lapping it up hungrily. And the notion of those wondrous lips taking a bite out of a juicy strawberry as he kissed the sweetness he found there made his cock twitch in anticipation.

He knew Brian was simply playing hard to get; well, he had a reputation himself for persistence and stubbornness when he was going after what he wanted, and he wanted Kinney like some uncontrollable drug. Once Brian saw the effort he had made to provide the right environment for their fucking tonight, he would come to reason and realize he could provide him with what his little blond twink only dreamed of – a fantasy night, perfect in every way. He and Brian complemented each other exactly – both strong-willed, ambitious, and passionate. Tonight would be the beginning of their relationship and afterward, Justin Taylor would be merely an unpleasant memory.

His heart sped up as he heard the key card being pushed into the door slot; he hurried toward the bedroom, quickly doffing his jeans as he stripped down to a single piece of apparel – a tightly-fitting, red silk G-string which showcased his best asset.. He had initially followed Brian's demand to get dressed, but finally chose to wear just this particular piece of clothing; he saw no reason to waste time. He smiled in anticipation and licked his lips at the thought of where his mouth would soon be – firmly suctioned to Kinney's cock…

* * *

_Same Time – Radisson Hotel Philadelphia_

Justin rushed into the lobby, anxious to finally find out exactly what was going on. He had just gotten off the phone with Cynthia to get Brian's room number; he knew as a rule his partner always made a habit of letting her know precisely where he was staying once he had gotten there. He had also asked Cynthia about the room situation, discovering her adamantly indignant that she had reserved _two_ rooms, not one, just as he figured. Cynthia was the consummate personal assistant; she would not have made such a stupid mistake. That left only two alternatives, then; either Ferrari had somehow called and cancelled the extra room himself to get Brian alone, or worse yet….._Brian_ had.

_No_, he said to himself firmly as he walked further into the lobby. _I_ _won't believe that; I REFUSE to believe that; because if he did, then it's all over – for good this time_. Taking a deep breath as he looked over at the check-in desk, he knew what he had to do – turn on the million-watt smile and the charm once he found a suitable target so he could obtain his goal. Fortunately for him, as luck would have it, he didn't have much of a problem finding such a person; there was a young-looking redheaded woman manning one of the check-in kiosks at the front desk. _Perfect_….

Trying to look both self-assured as well as slightly distressed, he approached the young woman who was wearing a name that said _Melissa_ and smiled at her apologetically.

The young woman actually blushed at the gorgeous blond staring back at her with such a beautiful smile. She couldn't help smiling back at him in return as she batted her eyes at him. "May I help you, Sir?" she said just a little breathlessly.

Justin nodded, keeping the smile plastered on his face. "Oh, I hope so," he said in slight embarrassment. "I did something really stupid earlier; I left my hotel room and inadvertently left the key inside the room. Stupid, isn't it?" he said self-deprecatingly.

She smiled sympathetically, reacting just the way Justin hoped she would. "Oh, you'd be surprised how often that happens," she said with a tinkling sort of laugh.

Justin continued to smile at her as he placed his elbows on the counter and pretended to flirt with her. He leaned in closer to her to say, "I appreciate your understanding…..Melissa," he added, looking into the woman's eyes as she flushed over the attention. "I was hoping you could give me an extra key so I could get in."

The young woman had read the 80-page hotel manual completely when she had started there approximately six months ago – the one that said never to take statements at face value – but confronted with such a beautiful-looking, adorable man staring at her intently, her training suddenly foundered. "Uh, of course," she said, smiling back at him with the same sort of flirty look on her face. "But I will need your name and room number."

Justin bit back the acidic taste in his mouth as he said, "Ferrari…Andrea Ferrari. Room 407. But you might actually have the room registered under my boss' name – Brian Kinney." He didn't want to take a chance and impersonate Brian himself; he knew his partner would have been the one to check in, and he also knew what sort of lasting impression he made on both men _and_ women. He didn't want to risk the woman possibly knowing what Brian looked like, and therefore realizing he wasn't being truthful.

He watched, the smile still on his face, as she nodded and started keying in some information. "Well, nothing under _your_ name, Sir, but I DO show Mr. Kinney registered under the room number."

"I thought so – I figured he had booked it only his name, since he's paying for it," Justin responded smoothly. "He's gone for the evening, though, and I'd really like to get into the room before he gets back. So would you mind…..?"

He held his breath as the woman seemed to consider his request for a few moments until to his relief she nodded and turned around to retrieve another key card. "Of course….we aim to please all our guests here, Mr. Ferrari." She added as she handed the key to Justin, "If you need anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask; I'm on duty from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. every night."

Justin beamed, evoking another blush in the young woman. "I'll remember that, Melissa," he told her appreciatively. "And I'll ask for you personally if I do. Thanks again," he added as the young woman nodded at him, watching him walk away toward the elevators with a longing sigh.

Clutching the flat room card firmly in his hand, Justin waited anxiously for the elevator car to descend to his floor; it had barely reached the lobby and discharged its guests before he rushed inside, bouncing lightly back and forth on his feet as he found himself alone in the car. His heart was pounding in anticipation; just what would he find in Brian's hotel room? As he stared down at the key card, though, he knew that whatever it was, he would see it in an unrehearsed, candid way; there would be no time for Brian to come up with some plausible explanation this time. He only prayed that his partner wouldn't need to…..

* * *

_Same Time…_

Brian took a deep breath before he pushed the key card into the slot and quickly took it back out as he heard the click in the lock; he was still seething over what Ferrari had done and knew he had to confront him, but he _also_ knew he was now going to wind up on his own tomorrow. Well, screw the guy – he already had the artwork completed and he was Brian Kinney; he didn't become the owner of a multi-million dollar advertising agency out of mere happenstance. He would overcome whatever was thrown at him tomorrow, also, just like he always did.

He pushed the door in to open it, peering his head inside to see if Ferrari was around. Initially, he didn't see him, but he _could_ see candles flickering softly off the walls and the sound once more of some light jazz music permeating the air. He sighed in disgust; did the man not get it? Apparently not, or he would have never tried to throw them together into the same room on the arrogant assumption that he would want to fuck him. He only hoped he could get this out of the way quickly; there might still be time for some one-on-one camera sex with a certain blond yet…..

"Ferrari?" he called out as he walked further into the suite. "I want to talk to you….NOW."

Ferrari smiled; Kinney sounded domineering, assertive, and powerful and it made him horny as hell. "Why don't you come in here and get me?" he challenged playfully from the bedroom, glancing over at the nearby desk where he had placed the silver platter holding the champagne bucket, crystal flutes and chocolate-covered strawberries. He saw no reason to keep them out of reach; the bedroom was the logical place to put them for use later…..He smiled from his place on the bed, still decked out in his tight, red-silk G-string that showed off his most impressive asset.

Brian snorted in exasperation over the other man's childishness. He'd go in and get him, all right, and promptly kick him out on his ass – _after_ he gave him a piece of his mind. He dropped his hotel key card down on the nearby dresser as he stomped over to the bedroom door. He paused for just a second to compose himself before walking inside, instantly looking over at the bed because he knew that was precisely where Ferrari would be. He wasn't disappointed, either, as he looked over at the king-sized bed and experienced yet another case of déjà vu; there was Ferrari once more on the bed, at least clothed this time – if you could call it that; he was wearing a skin-tight, red G-string that barely contained his bountiful cock. He wasn't impervious to the man's 'assets'– after all, he wasn't dead. But that didn't mean he was going to imbibe just the same, either….he had more than enough to keep him occupied at home. _Home_….that's where he wished he was right now; first, though, he had something important to take care of.

His eyes registered the obvious attempt at seduction over on the desk; he snorted as he looked over at the silver champagne bucket and glasses and the chocolate-colored fruit. He turned his head around as he heard his now _former _employee calling him from the bed.

Ferrari couldn't help gazing over at the handsome man flashing eyes of anger at him; he wasn't worried, though; he knew that anger frequently turned into passion. "You're way overdressed for what I have in mind, Brian," he whispered huskily. "Quit fighting the inevitable; you know you want it."

"What I want is for you to leave my fucking _room_!" Brian bellowed. "I found out what you did, Ferrari; you called the hotel behind my back and changed the room reservations so we'd have to wind up sharing the same room! Did you really think it would be that easy?" He glared at the conceited man, hands on hips, as he waited for the man to reply.

To his surprise, Ferrari smiled and admitted, "No, I didn't. But I like a challenge – it makes the fucking that much more intense afterward."

"You're fucking unbelievable!" Brian hissed out. "I told you – this was a _business trip_," he reiterated. "Pure and simple, nothing more, nothing less."

Ferrari was not to be dissuaded, however, as he smiled back at the aggravated brunet. "Come on, Brian," he cajoled the other man. "It's just a night of fucking – what's the harm? No one has to know, not even your little housewife at home," he added derisively, smirking at the thought.

"He's not a _little housewife_," Brian snarled back at him. "He's my partner. Always has been, always will be," he said, surprised a little that the statement had come out of his mouth so easily. When did he start thinking that way? No matter, though; that was how he felt now. As he looked over at the sexy dark-haired man, he knew it was the truth; he loved Justin and his heart – and body – belonged only to him from now on.

Justin winced as he pushed the key card into the slot and heard what sounded like a distinctly loud click result; he pushed the door in as softly as he could, hoping that whatever he was interrupting was still going on. Well, part of him was hoping and part of him wasn't; it might depend on just what he was interrupting. Either way, though, he had to know…..

He quietly closed the door behind him, immediately recognizing the soft, sensual sounds of light jazz music wafting throughout the spacious suite. The next thing he noticed as he turned around was a plethora of pillar candles stacked all over the place – the coffee table, the kitchen counter, the bookshelves, even on top of the television – the room dimly lit in spots by the conventional florescent bulbs from two of the side lamps near the couch. It created a romantic, sexy glow all throughout the room and created a great deal of anxiety in _him_. Someone was obviously there, then; and with a sense of dread he realized that if the occupants weren't in the living area, that could only leave one other room where they could be – the bedroom, or maybe the Jacuzzi in the bathroom. While Brian was never one to go for candles or soft music, he could certainly see that fucker Ferrari using it; anything to seduce his boss.

He licked his lips nervously, wondering what was going on, until his ears suddenly picked up on two voices coming from inside the bedroom; he instantly recognized Brian's angry voice and then Ferrari's slick, sickening Italian accent dripping with emotion. Was he interrupting a genuine quarrel or some lovers' spat? He held his breath, trying to listen to what they were saying; with the door closed almost all the way, it was difficult to make out what each man was saying, but it was obvious that Brian was upset about something. He walked closer to the bedroom, trying hard not to make his presence known, but naturally the two stopped speaking as soon as he did so. All of a sudden, though, he heard the voices start up again, and with Brian's anger also came a higher, agitated tone, making it easier to hear what was being said now.

"You're fucking unbelievable!" he could hear Brian saying. "I told you – this was a _business trip_," he reiterated. "Pure and simple, nothing more, nothing less." Justin's lips broke out into a delighted, relieved smile; he had been right after all….

His smile faded, however, as he heard Ferrari answering in a pleading, sultry tone of voice, "Come on, Brian; it's just a night of fucking – what's the harm? No one has to know, not even your little housewife at home."

Justin's eyes darkened in anger; how dare he take such a condescending tone of voice when he was talking about him? He made him sound like some sissified little simpleton. He was about to march in there and tell the fucker that to his face when he heard Brian speak up again and his heart soared at the words.

"He's not a _little housewife_," he could hear Brian defending him. "He's my partner. Always has been, always will be." Such a simple little statement, but to Justin it meant the world. It not only solidified his trust in him but also confirmed just how Brian felt about him. He let out a heavy sigh of relief. He had heard enough; now it was _his _turn.

Marching over to the door nearby, he swung it open; his eyes widening in surprise initially and then narrowing in anger at the sight of Brian's employee adorned only in a red G-string, his hands behind his back as if he were reclining on the Riviera as he stared over at Brian with a type of self-satisfied smirk on his face. At the sight of his presence, however, the man's face turned into a scowl. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the little housewife in the flesh," he taunted him.

Brian turned to stare in shock at his partner, amazed to see him standing a few feet away from him in the flesh. "Justin! Where… how did you get here? I've been trying to reach you," he started to explain but Justin shook his head.

"Makes two of us," he retorted. "I've been trying to reach you for hours! That's why I'm here; the front desk said you didn't want to be disturbed with phone calls and your cell kept going straight to voicemail. I got tired of waiting." _And tired of jumping to all kinds of conclusions; thank God I was wrong….._

"Yeah, I know; my phone won't even come on," Brian told him, not quite able to take his eyes off his partner for fear that if he did, the wondrous sight of him being there would disappear. The rest of Justin's statement sunk in just then, though, as he said, "The front desk said I didn't want to be disturbed?" He glared over at Ferrari now, who had sat up in the bed at the sight of the two of them staring daggers at him. "I didn't do that, Justin. But I can who guess who DID." He shook his head angrily. "You conniving asshole," he growled as he began to walk closer to the bed. "Get out of my fucking bed – NOW!"

Ferrari looked at him in wide-eyed disbelief as he glared over at the petite blond who had fire in his eyes; it seemed the little green monster had been conquered and was replaced with resolve and righteous determination, because this was no 'little housewife' now; he had to concede that even with the blond's petite stature, he wasn't showing any signs of backing down from their fight. _Well, we'll just see about that, won't we? _

Ferrari got up from the bed to slowly rise up to his entire 6'2" height, towering over Justin as he looked over at Brian. "Surely you've got to be fucking kidding," he persisted, looking back at Justin who was growing more and more furious by the second. "You're turning me down for _this_?"

Justin crossed his hands over his chest in indignation; his eyes almost a steel blue. "Excuse me?" he said.

Ferrari huffed. "You heard me. You're nobody; you're not man enough to handle someone like Brian Kinney."

"Oh, is that so?" Justin snarled as he began to walk toward the other man, who merely stood there and smirked in amusement.

Brian looked at his partner warily from the opposite side of the bed; he knew that look and what it meant. Justin was pissed – really, really pissed. Actually, he was, too, but he had a feeling he could handle the situation a lot better than his partner could. "Justin…"

The blond ignored him, though, as he slowly approached the much taller man, his hands clenched into fists at his side in anger. He had been wanting to do this from the first moment he had seen this arrogant, overly-confident snake. "You have been a pain in my fucking side since the first time I saw you," Justin growled, still walking slowly up to the other man; his normally pale-pink face was flushed with fury and his blue eyes were flashing. "I tried to ignore the fact that you were after Brian, I really did, because you know what, _Andy_?" he spit out. "I've seen dozens of men go after Brian before – that's nothing new! But what you did was underhanded and fucking devious! Brian can't stand lies – and neither can I! And I can't stand YOU!"

Ferrari snorted as he smiled down haughtily at Justin, the little insignificant worm. "Ooh….I'm shaking in my G-string."

He arched an eyebrow in curiosity as Justin actually smiled at him in deadly calm before saying, "You're an advertising man, _Andy_…you know what they say about good things coming in small packages?"

"Is that what you are, Taylor? A _small package?_" He glanced down at Justin's crotch, silently conceding that that certainly wasn't the case; even he could tell the man had a surprisingly abundant cock considering how small he was everywhere else.

Brian eyes widened as he continued to listen to their heated exchange; he was torn between rushing around the end of the bed and interrupting them or remaining rooted to his spot and letting Justin handle it on his own. Ultimately, he decided to go with the latter; he knew this was a fight Justin wanted to take on as his own, and he _also_ knew which man was somehow going to come out victorious, only Ferrari didn't know that. He curled his lips under in amusement as he continued to watch the drama unfolding in front of him.

Justin took a step closer to come nose to nose with the other man as he stared unflinchingly into the smug face. "You'll never find out, will you?" he retorted with a smile. "I reserve that for a _real_ man, like Brian."

Ferrari smirked. "Spoken like a true little bottom boy," he quipped as Justin's face darkened even further.

"Shows how much you know," Brian offered softly from the other side of the bed as Justin smiled in pleasure and Ferrari snorted in disbelief. There was no way that a man like Brian Kinney would ever bottom for this obnoxious, sniveling little blond…would he? The 'sniveling little blond' certainly looked smug enough to warrant some slight tendrils of doubt to begin creeping into his mind, but there was no way he was going to let Taylor know that. "There's no way he would subject himself to something like that with someone like _you_," he insisted.

"There _are_ some advantages to being smaller," Justin advised mysteriously as Brian placed his hand over his mouth to keep from smiling…..he had an idea what was about to happen, but apparently Ferrari was either too dense or stupid to figure it out for himself.

Ferrari smiled down into the reddened face. "Oh, really? I wouldn't know," he said cockily, quirking his eyebrow upward in a Spock-type expression.

Justin smiled even more. "Well, I'll be glad to show you then, _Andy_. Sometimes it helps to be smaller because you can do things like this." Before the other man could react, Justin raised his bent leg upward, jabbing the other man sharply in the crotch with his knee as the man immediately hunched over in pain.

Brian tensed, keeping an eye on what the other man might try to do. He knew Justin could take care of himself – he had already seen evidence of that with Chamberlain – but he also knew the other man had about 40 pounds on him. He soon found out, though, that he needn't have worried…..

Ferrari reeled from the pointed jab, his breaths coming out in pained pants as he managed to raise himself back up from the assault. His eyes darkened in fury as he reached out with his hands in an apparent attempt to place them around Justin's neck as he said, "Why you motherfucking son of a….."

He didn't quite get the entire sentence out because Justin promptly reared back with one long-fingered hand and, curling it into a fist, punched him square in the nose as Brian watched wide-eyed in amused fascination. He winced as Justin gave the man a shove and he fell back onto the floor, hitting his head against the nightstand.

The deed done – and quite effectively, he thought – Brian walked around the end of the bed to stare down, amused, at his former employee, who was moaning in distress. "Get up," he barked at him. "If you can."

Ferrari glowered up at him as he rubbed his bruised, bloody nose. "You son of a bitch!" he snarled at Justin, who merely shrugged nonchalantly. Truth was, though, Justin's hand was stinging like crazy from his punch but he wasn't going to let this man know that. Slowly, the other man rose to his feet, eyeing both men warily as he used the nearby night table to help him stand. His breathing was still painful and labored from Justin's effective one-two assault as he said with a raspy voice, "Fine, Kinney. You couldn't pay me enough to work for you now anyway."

Brian snorted. "Good – we finally agree on something. Now get…OUT." He reached over to grab the man's pants from the end of the bed, throwing them at him roughly as he added, "And just so you know….Justin's _twice_ the man you'll ever be."

Justin beamed at the compliment as Ferrari shook his head in disgust. "What about the rest of my clothes?" he had the nerve to ask.

Brian harrumphed. "Forget it; you're in such demand, find someone else to hook up with – I'm sure they'll be glad to take care of all your _needs_."

Ferrari stared at Brian speechless now as his former boss and object of his desire slid his arm around Justin's waist protectively before, resigned, he turned to slowly limp out of the bedroom, pausing just long enough to retrieve a pair of shoes that were luckily still by the door; apparently that was all the rest of his clothing he was going to get, however.

"Uh, uh, uh," Brian clucked as he pulled Justin's slim waist firmly against him when the blond tried to follow him. "You've caused enough front-end damage to him." Justin glared at the other man's retreating back pointedly from the open doorway until he watched Ferrari struggle to open the suite's front door and finally leave, the click mixing in with the sound of the soft music still playing and the candles still flickering. Thankfully, the instigator of all that nonsense was finally gone for good, though, as he turned around to face his partner, the two of them alone at last.

He sighed as he turned to face Brian, who slid his other arm around his body to link his hands at the small of Justin's back. He couldn't help smiling down at his feisty partner, who placed his long-fingered hands against his chest and gazed up at him sheepishly. "For a little compact car, Sunshine, you pack quite a wallop," he observed, pulling Justin toward him more until their bodies were chest to chest. "I'm glad you showed up just in time to protect my virtue," he teased him, tongue in cheek. "You want to explain to me how you managed to show up when you did, and how you managed to get a hold of an extra key card to my suite? I'm going to have to have a little talk with the front desk about security."

Justin gazed up at the intense hazel eyes staring back at him and his mouth twisted into a smug smile. "Just used a little of the Taylor charm on some redhead down at the front desk," he told Brian. His face twisted into a grimace of distaste, though, as he revealed, "I had to impersonate that other asshole to do it, though; I told them I had inadvertently locked my key in the hotel suite I shared with my boss and needed to get in." He looked into Brian's eyes as he admitted, "I wasn't sure exactly what was going on at first."

Brian hands slowly caressed Justin's back as he inquired, "How did you even know we were sharing a room anyway? I told you we were going to have separate rooms. Even _I_ didn't find out what Ferrari had done until we got here and I was told we only had the single room reserved."

Justin seemed a little uncomfortable as he replied softly, "I tried to call you earlier on your hotel room phone and _he_ answered it instead. He told me the two of you were sharing a room." The rest of what he had to say remained unspoken on his lips, but he didn't fool Brian.

"What else did he tell you, Justin?" the brunet asked gently as he touched his forehead to his partner's momentarily before leaning back to stare into the soft blue eyes.

Justin licked his lips nervously as he replied just above a whisper, "He said the two of you had just come out of the shower…after fucking." He directed his gaze downward in embarrassment as he added, "And he said you were going to be using the Jacuzzi next while you….you _took turns_."

Brian shook his head in irritation over Ferrari's lies and huffed softly as he took one hand and placed it under Justin's chin to force him to look into his eyes. "So you came all the way out here just to check? Justin…..You know I've never lied to you about what I was doing. Why would you think I would be doing that _now_?"

Justin's eyes glistened as he admitted, "I….I don't know." The words came tumbling out as he continued, "But when I called the front desk and they told me they only showed one room under your name and none under his, and when I couldn't reach you on your cell, and when I called the hotel and found out you had left orders not to be disturbed…."

"What?" Brian growled. "That son of a bitch!" he cursed loudly, realizing now just how intricate Ferrari's plans had been to distort the truth and try and put obstacles between him and his partner; his expression of ire, however, quickly dissipated, though, as he looked down into the uncertain blue eyes. He curved his hand around the pale cheek as he whispered, "I'm flattered you felt like you had to come all the way out here to defend me," he teased his partner. "But I meant what I said before, Sunshine. The only model I'm interested in _cruising_ in is you."

Justin couldn't help the slight grin that appeared on his face at Brian's rather unorthodox statement of affection for him. "Cruising in? What about test drives of other 'models' from time to time?"

Brian smirked as he shook his head firmly. "No….I've test driven all the models available on the market by now; I prefer the spunky, zippy compact variety to a luxury model any day."

Justin huffed. "Spunky? Zippy? Makes me sound like a moped or something."

Brian chuckled. "Believe me, Mr. Taylor, there's nothing insignificant or minor about what's under _your _hood."

Justin rolled his eyes. "I feel so much better now," he quipped, but he couldn't help smiling back at Brian who arched his eyebrow playfully at him.

Brian murmured in that velvety voice that always made goose pimples break out on Justin's skin. "I can make you feel even better," he replied huskily. "I reserve all my _full-service lubes_ just for you." His mouth slowly evolved into a boyishly wide grin as his tongue came out to curl up against his upper lip mischievously.

Justin grinned. "You do, do you?"

"Uh, huh," Brian whispered just before he leaned down to capture the soft, waiting lips in a passionate kiss. The tongue-dueling, toe-curling kiss went on for approximately a minute before Brian reluctantly pulled back from their lip lock to stare tenderly into the intense, always-changing blue eyes. "That was just a trial run," he whispered as he began to pull Justin toward the bed, his hands coming around to begin unbuttoning Justin's shirt. "Now it's time for a more _full-fledged _mechanic's inspection."

He quickly succeeded in removing Justin's shirt as he continued to pepper Justin's lips and the smooth, pale skin of his neck with occasional quick, wet, butterfly kisses as he reached down to start on his partner's jeans. "First, I'll have to take a look at the overall condition of the vehicle," he stated somberly as Justin shook his head in amusement; Brian quickly made short shrift of his jeans, unbuttoning the lone button and unzipping them to impatiently pull them and his pair of briefs down the slender legs as Justin toed off his shoes and socks and then stepped out of the rest of his clothing, his now-naked body finally open to Brian's flagrant admiration. He blushed at the intense look of desire on Brian's handsome face as the brunet continued his sales pitch.

"Then I'll have to take a look at the gear stick," he advised, reaching down to curl one hand around Justin's quickly-hardening cock and giving it a possessive squeeze, receiving a soft gasp in return. He smiled at Justin's response as he continued, "Then – another important part. I'll have to check out the rear of the vehicle closely." He reached around to curve his hands around Justin's ass to give the two luscious globes a squeeze; Justin sighed in pleasure as Brian began to knead the soft flesh he found there.

"And of course, we can't overlook the interior," he continued as he flipped their positions around so that the bed was behind his partner; he firmly pushed on the blond's chest to make him flop unceremoniously down onto the mattress as he quickly shrugged out of black shirt and undid the button of his own jeans to pull them and his briefs down his legs. He took just long enough to remove his shoes and socks before stepping out of the rest of his clothes to peer down at his gloriously-looking little blond compact admiringly. "We need to make sure that all your vital parts are well-lubed and ready to get to work," he advised as he crawled onto the end of the bed and, using his elbows for leverage, slithered sensually on top of the slender frame to loom over his partner's oh-so-perfectly proportioned body. "I'm pretty rough on cars, though, Mr. Taylor," he warned softly as he gazed into the beautiful blue eyes. "Do you come with a warranty?"

Justin twisted his lips into a grin. "I sure do," he assured him softly, reaching up to place his fingers against Brian's lips. "A _life-time _warranty."

He trailed his fingers down to Brian's sinewy shoulder as his partner grinned back at him for a second before whispering back, "Good. Because I intend on putting a hell of a lot more miles on you." He leaned down to bestow another passionate kiss on his own little compact model as he draped his body over Justin's and nestled his head in the crook of Justin's shoulder and neck, their mutual desire for each other mingling together against their bellies and causing both of them to moan at the exquisite contact. "You feel so good," Brian couldn't help murmuring as he purposefully squirmed a little against the smaller frame and Justin gasped again in response. "So fucking good."

"Brian," Justin whispered out, his lips slightly parted as he moaned again when Brian's steel-hard cock rubbed against his stomach. "I want you inside me," he implored as he tried to spread his legs wider in invitation.

Brian raised his head to stare at the flushed, needy face. "I must say – this is much better than doing it long-distance," he commented. "Hard to take a test drive from the web."

Justin huffed. "Just get on with it, will you?" He grasped the sides of Brian's waist, almost feeling like he was going to drown any second in lust if his partner didn't fuck him to within an ounce of his life immediately. "Fuck me, you masochist," he growled.

Brian's eyebrow arched in surprised amusement. "Masochist?" he repeated. "I'll show you masochist," he growled as he twisted off Justin's body to reach over and grab his pants from the floor nearby, fishing inside one of his pockets to retrieve a small tube of lube and a condom package. "Roll over," he commanded huskily as he gave Justin a firm push; Justin's heart sped up in anticipation as he complied.

As he lay on his stomach a few seconds later, he felt Brian's hot, wet tongue just barely skimming the surface of his upper back and groaned; he knew what that meant. Instead of fast and hard, Brian wanted to fucking _play_ with him. "Bri-an," he pleaded, wiggling his hips impatiently as he heard his partner softly chuckle at his discomfiture. "You've got to be kidding me," he breathed out as the tongue continued its leisurely trip down his spine before stopping just above his ass; he could feel Brian's hands holding him down by the back of his thighs in silent command that he was the one doing the 'test driving' at the moment. "Will you fucking get on with it?" he demanded as he started rubbing his painful cock against the thick, satiny sheets underneath him in horny frustration.

"I like to accelerate slowly when I do test drives," Brian told him solemnly, making Justin gasp as he unexpectedly placed a nip on one of Justin's fleshy cheeks.

"Since when?" Justin managed to sputter out. "Brian…..please." He forgot he was no longer pinned down, though, when Brian removed his hands to place them on either side of Justin's ass to spread the pale globes apart; he held his breath in anxious anticipation for a few seconds until he felt a slow, wet, lick of Brian's tongue against the crease.

"God!" he cried out, and Brian hadn't even touched his hole yet; even now, after all this time, his partner could take him to such euphoric heights with the smallest of touches.

He could hear Brian chuckle softly once more as he removed his tongue; Justin's initial disappointment was quickly forgotten as Brian stabbed his curled tongue into his pucker and he bucked off the bed in response. "Fuck!"

Brian laughed as he raised his head to admire the pale, sweaty skin glistening in the dimly-lit room; neither man had bothered to turn any of the bedroom lights on, so the only illumination presently was coming from the slowly-ebbing flickers of the candles' flames still burning in the other room and the soft lighting. "So impatient," he chided softly. "I'm getting to it." He heard Justin moan in frustration as his partner flopped back down on the bed in resignation. He smiled; truthfully, his body was screaming for release, too; enough of their test drive; it was time to kick things into high gear.

He removed one of his hands from Justin's body to reach over to grab the tube of lube and snap the lid open; Justin sighed in relief at the sound. Brian sat up to straddle Justin's legs, his cock leaking profusely now against Justin's skin as he rubbed the lotion between his hands to warm it. He reached down with his hand to place one oiled finger, then two, and finally three inside Justin's hole to prepare him. "Always so tight, Sunshine," he marveled huskily as he reached around with his other hand to softly fondle Justin's balls as Justin groaned in frustration. "Your nuts and bolts are still in great shape, too." He playfully smacked one of Justin's cheeks as he teased, "I can see why you're still under warranty. I just need to check one more thing, though." He inched his three fingers upward and hit the one spot that he knew would make Justin react; his partner keened as he curled his fingers and expertly hit his intended target, moving his fingers back and forth a few times to get the same response over and over again. "Yeah….still works just fine," he crowed smugly with glee.

"Damn you, Brian Kinney!" Justin snapped, all patience gone. "Fucking get _on_ with it!"

Brian laughed. "Okay, Sunshine," he unexpectedly whispered against Justin's back, his breathing hot and seductive against the pale skin as he saw Justin shiver in reaction. "Time to finally open up your motor and see what you can _really_ do." He slowly removed his fingers and leaned up to reach for the condom package lying nearby; hurriedly rolling in onto his cock, he positioned himself at the right spot before he plunged inside halfway, waiting as Justin grunted while he adjusted to the thicker, wider girth. Justin reached back blindly to place one hand on Brian's hip in silent encouragement to continue as Brian pulled back slightly and then pushed back in more roughly, this time all the way to the hilt. "So good….." he whispered against Justin's back once more. "So fucking wonderful." He pulled back once more and rammed back inside, Justin's body arching up in time with his thrusts.

As he and Justin continued their sensual dance of symmetry, their bodies undulating in time perfectly together, he couldn't help grunting out, "Gives a whole new meaning to pumping pistons; God, you feel so incredible," he grunted out in between thrusts. He could feel Justin's body quickly ascending to a climax as his partner's ass clenched around his cock tightly and Brian gasped at the exquisite sensation; shortly afterward both men cried out as they came together and Brian collapsed onto his lover's back, their sticky, sweaty bodies melding against each other as they breathed out heavily in the aftermath.

They remained speechless for several seconds, both finding it hard to speak, until their breathing finally returned to normal. Justin squeezed his fingers on Brian's thigh and whispered "no" as he felt Brian beginning to withdraw from him. "Stay."

"I'll crush you," Brian protested back softly, his head turned sideways against Justin's upper back as he lay there on top of him like some warm, protective glove. He finally pulled a drowsy, sated Justin along with him and managed to turn them both on their sides as he spooned up against him from behind and wrapped one arm around his partner's waist. He heard Justin sigh in contentment as he relished simply holding him in his arms; after several seconds, he heard the familiar, even breathing of his partner, signaling that he had once again fallen asleep with him still inside him.

He smiled tenderly at the realization as he placed a gentle kiss on Justin's shoulder. "I'll never grow tired of you, Sunshine," he whispered. "Never."

* * *

_A/N: TBC in the epilogue..._


	6. My Favorite Hot Wheel:  Conclusion

_Next Morning_

Justin shuffled slightly in Brian's arms but thankfully didn't wake up as a soft rapping sounded from the suite's door; Brian gently disentangled himself from the warm body snuggled against him as he slowly rose from the bed and pulled yesterday's jeans on to exit the bedroom and plod barefooted over to the entrance.

As he opened the door, he quickly placed a finger across his lips before the hotel employee had a chance to speak, signaling for silence. Nodding back at him in understanding, the blond-haired man said softly, "Room Service."

Brian held his hand out in front of him to indicate the man should put the tray down on the kitchen counter; he smiled in satisfaction, noting that the special item he had requested from the gift shop was lying next to their breakfast platters, as he turned and pulled out some bills from his pants pocket and handed them quietly to the employee. The man tipped his cap briefly at Brian in thanks before walking over to the door and gently closing it behind him.

Grabbing the item off the serving tray, Brian walked back into the bedroom, grinning at Justin who was lying on his back now and stirring slightly in their bed; even asleep, Justin somehow always seemed to know when there was food available. As the smells of their breakfast wafted into the bedroom, he could see Justin struggling to wake up as he stretched his arms out above his head like some adorable, blond tomcat.

He walked over to his partner's side of the bed, and towering over him on his knees, lightly trailed his 'surprise' down Justin's smooth chest.

Justin's eyes flew open at the coldness he felt and the strange sensation of something rolling down his breastbone. "What the….?" He cried out as he jerked his head up to see Brian playing with a toy race car on his chest that looked suspiciously like a Ferrari. "Brian," he whined as he dropped his head down on the pillow and rolled his eyes in aggravation. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Brian grinned as he took a left turn at Justin's belly button and headed back up toward his left nipple. "Just taking a Sunday drive on Friday," he stated, his lips curled under. He came to the pebbled, dusky-colored nub and backed up to 'drive' over it again and again, seeing his partner's body shivering in response. "Oops!" he said. "Looks like we need to take a detour." He rolled the car over to the other nipple then, performing the same ritual there, back and forth, back and forth, until Justin reached down to place his hand over Brian's wrist and grab it. "Okay, Speed Racer, that's enough!" he growled as Brian chuckled at the irritated look on his face; despite Justin's look of annoyance, though, he could tell it was having the desired effect; the pulsing cock grazing his thigh below was clear evidence of that.

"Come on…Just one more lap before our pit stop," he implored, his eyes twinkling as Justin rolled his eyes in response; he had to smile. Fuck, he was so happy to have this man in his bed this morning! It suddenly made his meeting with Madsen seem so unimportant.

As if reading his mind, Justin reminded him, "Don't you have an important meeting this morning?"

Brian laid the car down on the mattress and lightly stroked Justin's chest as he lay on his side, his elbow propping up his head. "I've got a little time," he murmured as he leaned down to place a brief but passionate kiss on the soft lips. As he pulled back, he noticed a cloud appear in the blue eyes.

"What?" he asked softly, his hand coming up to cup the soft, slightly grizzled cheek.

Justin smiled wistfully and shook his head. "Nothing," he whispered in dismissal.

"Bullshit," Brian responded, turning Justin's head to force him to look at him and staring intently into the sapphire-blue eyes until Justin's lips twisted in resignation; he never could fool this man.

He whispered softly, "Are you worried about meeting Madsen this morning? I mean…..without him?"

"Without that fucker Ferrari?"

Justin nodded as Brian's heart lurched at the look of concern on his face; just the fact that Justin was worried about his business after everything that had happened just made him love the man even more. He smiled at him tenderly and shook his head. "No, Justin," he reassured him softly. "I'm not worried about it one bit. It's me, remember?" he joked.

"Now who's spouting bullshit?" Justin softly chided him as Brian stroked his cheek lightly. "I know how much that account means to you."

"Yeah," Brian admitted as he gazed into Justin's eyes. "It'd be a great client to capture."

"It'd be more than that," Justin countered as he reached up to grasp Brian's hand and clasp it against his chest; Brian curled his fingers around the pale skin in response. "You've wanted that account for a long time. And now I've probably fucked up your chances of getting it."

"Hey…..That's not true," Brian growled. "I already had Madsen's approval; he just wanted Ferrari along for the ride in case there were any changes that needed to be made to the graphics."

"But…."

Brian brought Justin's hand up to his lips and kissed the pale fingers, effectively silencing his partner's protests. "No, Justin, I'm not going to let you take your own drive down guilt trip lane. He's the one that fucked up; not you. He was all polish and spit but had nothing under the hood."

Justin huffed, his eyes flashing. "For God's sake, Brian, will you cut out the car jokes for once? This is your business we're talking about!"

"I know it is," Brian told him sternly as he continued to hold Justin's hand, now pinning it against his chest; Justin could feel his partner's heartbeat under his touch, steady and firm. "That's why I know it's all going to work out."

"How can you be so sure, Brian?" Justin insisted.

Brian smiled warmly. "Because while I may not have the luxury coupe any more to tweak the graphics, I've got someone even better for the job – you."

Justin stared up at him sheepishly. "Oh," he said simply. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted to his chagrin.

Brian huffed in amusement. "No, you were too busy trying to place the blame on your sexy little shoulders." He leaned down to kiss Justin's left shoulder before pulling back to whisper sincerely, "With you by my side, Madsen won't dare say no. If he does, he's a fucking idiot which means I wouldn't want him for a client anyway."

Justin blushed at the compliment. "Well, you know I'll do anything to help you."

Brian tongue came out to lick his lips as he smiled down at him. "Anything?"

His partner rolled his eyes before smacking him on the arm. "I meant for your meeting."

Brian shrugged as he responded casually, "Oh….well, in that case, I'd better let you catch a few more minutes of sleep before you get dressed; we'll need to leave here in about an hour. I'll just go enjoy some of that French toast, bacon, and eggs I had brought up a few minutes ago." He had managed to move slightly away from his partner in a half-hearted attempt to leave when he heard an excited voice behind him say, "French toast? Bacon? Eggs? You ordered breakfast for me?"

Brian turned around in the bed to grin at his partner. "Who said I ordered it for you? I get hungry too, you know."

Justin smirked. "Yeah, I know…you come back and I'll take care of your hunger before I go take care of mine."

Brian smiled broadly as he instantly flopped back down onto the mattress like a fish out of water. "That seems like an equitable arrangement, Mr. Taylor," he replied as he rolled over and suddenly pounced on top of his lover, who squeaked in delight. "Is it time for another lube job already?" the brunet asked, waggling his eyebrows at him as he peered down into his eyes.

Justin could feel the familiar wetness of Brian's leaking cock between their bellies. "Bri-an," Justin sighed, but he really didn't mind the car jokes anymore; not if it meant he could get more of this…. "Yeah," he sighed out softly as Brian began to rain warm, wet kisses all over his body. "I guess it is."

* * *

_Two Hours Later_

"Brian," Kern Madsen replied, reaching over to shake the ad exec's hand. "Nice to see you again. Thanks for agreeing to meet me and my staff at our headquarters." He eyed the young blond man standing next to Brian curiously, noticing he was carrying what appeared to be the graphics in a long, flat portfolio tote.

Brian noticed his puzzlement and added, "Mr. Madsen, I'd like to introduce Justin Taylor to you." There was a distinct note of pride in his voice as he mentioned Justin's name and it caused the blond's heart to do flip flops inside; he kept the emotion from his voice, though, as he reached out to grasp the client's hand. "Nice to meet you, Sir," Justin responded politely.

"Justin is filling in for Mr. Ferrari," Brian explained. "He was unable to attend due to mechanical problems."

Justin placed his hand over his mouth and had to look away to keep the laugh from erupting as Brian continued smoothly, "Justin's an incredible artist, though, Mr. Madsen; I'm sure he can handle whatever changes your staff may require."

Justin turned his head back around at the mention of his name to find Brian staring at him, the love obvious in his eyes. It might not have been apparent to this relative stranger, but it was shining like a beacon to him. He smiled back at him in silent joy, knowing his own eyes reflected the same thought.

Madsen nodded. "Well, that's unfortunate, Mr. Kinney," he responded as he looked over at Justin. "But I trust your judgment – it's your show to win or lose; shall we get started then?" He held out his arm as Brian and Justin began to walk with him toward the conference room.

* * *

_Friday Evening – Pittsburgh_

Justin smiled from his place at the loft's couch as he observed Gus on the floor, the toy car Brian had purchased earlier being driven all over the Berber rug. Brian had made sure that Gus understood his 'race track' was strictly over there; he could just imagine Brian's horror over having tire scratches all over his wooden floor. He could hear Gus making 'zoom zoom' noises under his breath as he maneuvered the car through an imaginary route. Brian had even found items in the loft to dress up his track, mainly leftover wooden blocks that belonged to his son that he normally kept in a plastic storage tote out of sight until Gus came to visit. The rose-colored ones with a cut-out arch shape had quickly become tunnels to travel under, and the green ones that were a wedge shape had quickly turned into ramps to take a flying leap from aka the Evel Knievel way. He had polished off the details with some tissue boxes made up to look like primitive houses. Justin had quickly painted them over in a solid color with some quick-drying paint to make them look like miniature cottages, and Gus seemed quite taken with them as he wove the car around each structure.

He looked up and smiled as Brian joined him at the couch, handing him a shot of Beam as he sat down next to him. He took a sip from his own glass as he eyed his son. "Someone seems very happy with his new race track," Brian observed with a tender smile as he placed his arm around Justin's shoulders and pulled him closer to his body.

We're not cuddling, we're not cuddling, Justin tried to convince himself for Brian's sake, never daring to actually say anything of the kind out loud but knowing better – that was exactly what they were doing and he was enjoying himself immensely. He sighed softly as he snuggled into Brian's side. "Yeah, he does," he agreed. "Everything always seemed much less complicated when we were kids."

"Speak for yourself," Brian growled softly. "Remember my parents?"

Justin turned in his embrace enough to stare into the greenish-gold eyes with a look of regret. "Yeah…I do." Before he could say anything else, Brian placed his hand against Justin's mouth and shook his head.

"Don't say it," he said softly. "It's all over and done with now." He gazed over at his son as he dropped his hand to grasp Justin's and link their fingers together. "I've got my own son now; that's all that matters. Well, not all," he quickly amended his statement as he stared into Justin's eyes intensely. "I've got you, too." He curled his lips under as if in embarrassment as Justin beamed at him; the smile that he received at times like this always took his breath away and this time was no exception.

They sat there in companionable silence for several seconds until Brian asked, "Sure you don't mind Gus spending the night tonight? He's definitely going to put a crimp in our plans to celebrate winning the Madsen Instruments account."

Justin leaned his head against Brian's as he looked over at the little doe-eyed boy. "You know I don't," he said sincerely. "I love having him here. He reminds me so much of you. We can 'celebrate' after he's gone tomorrow." Madsen had requested some minor changes to the artwork for his account, but Justin's way of making anyone feel immediately at ease had helped to convince the man that they were quite receptive to any changes; that and the fact that Justin was simply an amazing artist had definitely helped win the man over.

"I hope that's a compliment, Sunshine," Brian replied sarcastically as Justin laughed softly.

"You know it is," was the firm reply. "I happen to think quite highly of Gus' father."

Brian twisted around enough to look Justin in the eyes. "Oh you do, do you?" he whispered with a gentle smile.

Justin face twisted into a tender grin. "Yeah, I do," he whispered huskily just before their lips came together for a slow, soft kiss. They continued for several seconds, their free hands coming down to stroke each others' bodies, until Brian heard his son calling him.

"Daddy! Look what I found!" was the excited cry. The two men broke apart a little reluctantly to turn their heads toward the child, noticing that he was standing up facing them, now adorned in some new apparel. Justin laughed as he recognized what it was: it was his red-colored apron from the other night with the tires on it; the one he had obtained at the auto show that had the motto _**What's the use in getting it up if you don't have the right rubber? **_

"I'm a member of the pit crew, Daddy!" Gus cried out in delight as he twirled around so they could get a good look at his official 'uniform.' The apron was so long and loose on him, it almost dragged the floor.

Brian chuckled. "I see that, Sonny Boy," he replied with a gentle smile as he stood up from the couch to walk over to him. He knelt down as he reached around to double-tie the apron's strings to secure it to Gus' body and make sure he didn't trip on the excess fabric. "You sure you know how to fix cars, Buddy?"

Gus nodded vigorously. "I saw it on TV," he told his father. "They take the tires off and put new ones on." He began to gesture wildly as he spoke, his face alit with excitement as he struggled to find the right words to say; his face was filled with the dewy-eyed innocence that only children had as he added, "And they put gas in it, too."

Brian smiled at him. "You do know how to be a good mechanic!" He glanced over at Justin. "We could have used him the other day to take care of some other car problems we were having."

Justin snorted. "He's a mechanic, Brian, not a miracle worker." Even though he knew Ferrari was gone for good – where, they didn't know, thankfully, nor did he care – he still got a sour taste in his mouth just at the mention of his name. It didn't help, either, that out of all the toy cars he could have chosen, Brian would have had to have found a Ferrari that Gus was playing with; damn the man and his weird sense of humor….

He got up from his place on the couch to walk over to Brian to join him; he smiled at Gus as he reached down to tousle the top of his head before the little boy sat back down and began to resume his play. "Speaking of which…..what are you going to do about his replacement?"

Brian turned to look at him hopefully. "I don't suppose….?"

"Brian, you know I'll help any way I can. But I can't go to school and work full-time, at least during most of the year. Can't you find some nice young woman to hire?"

"What would be the fun in that?"

Justin rolled his eyes as he pulled Brian into his arms and gazed up into his twinkling eyes. "The benefit would be that when you get home at night, you will be all hot and bothered because you didn't get any at the office," he whispered, careful not to let Gus overhear. Not that he would especially figure out exactly what they were couching so carefully in such vague terms, but he still didn't want to take the chance; Gus was a little young to learn about the birds and bees just yet. "And you'll find a horny little artist just waiting for you to have your needs satisfied when you get home."

Brian's breath hitched just at the thought; he could feel the familiar pangs of lust taking hold and forced himself to get them under control before he made Justin give him a demonstration right then and there. "Will you wear your apron to bed?" he asked huskily in Justin's ear, taking a quick swipe over the lower fleshy part with his tongue before nipping it lightly; he felt the slender body shiver in response.

"Not that I'll have it on very long," he replied as Brian leered at him. "But if it will keep you from straying, and I can get it away from someone else, that is," he whispered in a sultry tone of voice, glancing over at Gus who was still wearing it, oblivious to the significance of his outfit, "I'll make sure to wear it to bed every night."

Brian smiled. "I think we have a deal, Mr. Taylor; female it is. I'll get to work on that Monday." He was actually going to do that anyway, seeing no point in stretching his luck, but if his promise would guarantee Justin hot and ready for him when he got home every night, wearing that apron that showed off his bare ass so delectably, he decided it wouldn't hurt to play along with him.

As Gus continued his 'zoom, zoom' noises and navigated his Ferrari through the shaggy track, Brian pulled Justin closer into his arms and whispered, "From now on, no more Ferrari's except for the Hot Wheels kind."

* * *

_A/N: That's it! Hope you enjoyed it! Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading.:)_


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